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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
1/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
mar232010
HOME / CAMERAS AND LENSES / NIKON DX VS FX
Nikon DX vs FXBY NASIM MANSUROV 268 COMMENTS
Some of the most frequently asked questions from our readers are around DX and FX format sensors. What is
DX and FX? What are their differences? Which one is better and why? If you have similar questions and want
to get a clear understanding about these formats and their differences, along with seeing actual image
samples from both, this article is for you.
Before diving into sensor formats, it is first important to understand what a sensor is and what it does in a
Digital SLR camera. It is easier to understand how sensors work by comparing them with the human eye. The
lens in front of the camera essentially functions as the cornea of your eyes, gathering ambient light and
passing it to the iris. The iris then expands or shrinks, controlling the amount of light that enters the retina,
which functions almost exactly like a camera sensor. The retina is light-sensitive, meaning it can adjust its
sensitivity based on the available light. If there is too much light, it decreases its sensitivity, while
automatically increasing the sensitivity in a dim environment, so that you could see in both extremely bright
and extremely dark conditions. Remember what happens when you come out of a dark place to a very bright,
sunny environment and vice-versa? Either your eyes will hurt and everything will seem too bright, or you will
have a hard time seeing at all – due to sensitivity of the eyes that have not yet adjusted for the new
environment. The sensitivity of your eyes is just like the sensitivity of the sensor, also known as “ISO” in
photography. But sensitivity comes at a price – high sensitivity levels ultimately decrease image quality, similar
to when you have a hard time seeing in a very dark environment. This degradation of image quality is first
visible as “grain” or “noise” in the pictures, followed by loss of detail, sharpness and color in extreme levels of
sensitivity. When I say “extreme”, I mean extreme to the digital camera, not human eye. Even with all of the
latest advancements in sensor technology, cameras are not even close to seeing the range of light the human
eye can see in various environments.
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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
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Captured with Nikon D700 FX Camera
The sensor is the most important component of a digital camera, because it is directly responsible for
capturing an optical image and converting it to an electric signal, which later gets optimized and converted to
a digital image by other camera electronics. Just like your computer screen, sensors contain millions of pixels,
except they are there to collect light, not display it. When you see a digital camera with 12 megapixels, it
literally means that the camera sensor contains 12 million tiny pixels for the sole purpose of gathering light.
Think of those pixels as buckets that attract light particles – the larger the bucket, the more light particles it
can store in a given amount of time. These buckets are known as “photosites” and their size plays a huge role
in sensor sensitivity and ability to accurately gather light in various lighting conditions. Bigger buckets are
always better than smaller ones, because more light particles can be stored in those, without getting over-
filled. The information about light particles is then passed on to the camera processor, which assembles a
digital image starting from the first pixel all the way to the last. And all of this happens in a matter of
milliseconds!
While larger pixels (or bigger buckets) work best for sensors, they are also extremely expensive to
manufacture. To keep the costs low and product accessible to a broader customer range, many camera
manufacturers produce smaller sensors. Obviously, as the size of the sensors decrease, so do the number of
pixels. To combat this problem, manufacturers have been cramming more and more pixels into tiny sensors
while simultaneously increasing the efficiency and throughput of each pixel. Unfortunately, this resulted in a
“megapixel race” among the manufacturers and we are seeing more and more pixels in the modern sensors,
despite the fact that the size of the sensors has pretty much remained the same.
1) What is DX?When Nikon entered the digital world of SLR photography, their first Nikon D1 DSLR had a smaller sensor to
make it more accessible to professionals (it sold for $5,850 when it was announced). It was about 2/3 of the
size of the 35mm film and it only had 2.66 megapixels. The camera quickly gained popularity and more
updates of the same DSLR followed – some with more resolution and others with more speed. Nikon
eventually dubbed the smaller sensor “DX”, which is approximately 24x16mm in size and is still being widely
used in all entry-level (Nikon D3000/D5000), semi-professional (Nikon D90) and even professional (Nikon
D300s) cameras. Obviously, the number of megapixels went up significantly with the latest DX sensors having
12.3 effective megapixels (4,288 x 2,848 resolution), which means the pixel size has also equally decreased,
resulting in higher pixel density. Nikon has been able to do so because of new advancements in sensor
technology, better noise-reduction algorithms and more processing power.
Historically, all digital sensor formats have been measured and compared against 35mm film. In the case of DX
format, due to the sensor being smaller than 36x24mm (size of 35mm film), the subjects appeared slightly
more magnified when compared to film. This was normal for the DX format, because smaller sensor meant
that a smaller area of the lens towards the center was to be used and everything else discarded. However,
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photographers kept on comparing this difference in field of view or angle of view to the traditional film and
new terms such as “crop factor” and “equivalent focal length” were born. Why did this happen? Because a
photographer with a DX digital camera using a 50mm lens appeared to have the same view as a film
photographer with a 75mm lens and nobody wanted to accept this change as “normal”, again, relative to
film.
Nikon DX sensors, for example, have a crop factor of 1.5x. What this means, is that relative to 35mm film, the
image will appear enlarged by approximately 50%. So shooting with a 24-70mm lens is “equivalent” of
shooting with a 36-105mm lens on a film body. This is where things got messy and people started getting
confused about focal lengths and sensor sizes. How can you say that a lens is longer in focal length with a DX
sensor, if the physical property of the lens has not changed? A 24-70mm lens is a 24-70mm lens no matter
which camera body it is on and no sensor can change that. The whole “equivalent to mm” verbiage can be
too confusing, because it is equivalent only relative to 35mm film. At the same time, how do you explain that a
200mm lens on a DX sensor has an equivalent field of view of a 300mm lens on film? That’s why it has been
quite common among photographers to compare this new field of view problem with film.
2) What is FX?In August of 2007, Nikon released the long awaited full-frame Nikon D3 FX camera with 12.1 megapixels. It was
the first Nikon DSLR to have a 35mm equivalent digital sensor that measured approximately 36x24mm in size
with a 4256×2832 resolution. Nikon realized that cramming more pixels into a tiny DX sensor was not helping
in low-light situations and the only way to increase the sensitivity of the sensor was to increase the pixel size.
The 36x24mm full-frame sensor is more than twice larger in size than a 24x16mm DX sensor. By keeping the
number of megapixels low relative to the size of the sensor, Nikon increased the pixel size by 2.4 times, thus
having much larger photosites to store light particles. What this meant, was that the sensor could have higher
sensitivity levels and see a much larger range of light from blacks to whites, known as “dynamic range“.
With the full-frame FX sensor, the terms “crop factor” and “equivalent focal length” are no longer valid,
because an FX sensor is the same size as film. This means that if you took a film camera and a full-frame digital
camera, mounted 24-70mm lenses on them and took pictures of the same subject, both would produce a
similar view, not a magnified one like with DX sensors.
Let’s now move on to advantages and disadvantages of both DX and FX sensors.
3) Advantages and disadvantages of DX format
Let’s start with DX. What are the advantages and disadvantages of DX formats?
Advantages of DX format
1. Cost – obvious advantage, because the sensor is much cheaper to manufacture.
2. Lens sharpness and vignetting – since DX sensors use the center of the lens and discard the corners,
many professional lenses will perform extremely well on DX, because the center of the lens is always
optimized for sharpness than the corners. Vignetting is also typically much less pronounced on DX
bodies than on FX, again due to corners not being used. For example, the older version of the Nikon 70-
200mm VR II lens performed beautifully on DX bodies and quite poorly on FX bodies, which is why
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Nikon had to update it with a better version for full-frame cameras.
3. Low-cost lenses – since the corners are cut off for the DX format anyway, manufacturers started
offering smaller and more compact lenses for DX sensors that cost much less than regular lenses for film
and full-frame sensors.
4. Reach – this part is a little controversial, again due to comparison in the field of view between DX and FX
sensors, but due to the size of the sensor and its crop factor, DX sensors generally provide a better
reach than full-frame sensors. Some people say “well, you could simply crop an image from a full-frame
sensor and have the same result as what DX provides”, which is not true, mainly due to megapixels and
pixel size. If a DX sensor is 12 megapixels, cropping an equivalent field of view from a 12 megapixel full-
frame sensor would give you much smaller resolution (approximately 5-6 megapixels). However, it is a
different story if you have over 25 megapixels on a full-frame sensor – cropping 12 megapixels out
would yield a similar result as DX, if the size of the pixel is the same. There are a few other things to
consider like depth of field, but generally, it will be the same.
5. Size and weight – cameras with DX sensors are generally smaller and lighter than cameras with FX
sensors, because full-frame sensors are currently only being used on high-end professional cameras
that are bigger and heavier.
Nikon FX and DX - Field of View Differences
Disadvantages of DX format
1. Noise in high ISO levels – the biggest disadvantage of DX, as I pointed out above, is the small size of
pixels, which results in noisy pictures and much less sharpness and detail in higher sensitivity levels. See
image samples below for comparison.
2. Smaller dynamic range – compared to FX, DX cameras have a smaller dynamic range, largely due to pixel
size and density.
3. Problems with wide-angle lenses – due to a difference in the field of view, wide-angle lenses are not so
wide on a DX body anymore. A 14mm ultra wide-angle lens is more like a 21mm lens when compared to a
full-frame camera, which means that you can fit a lot less in your frame. This is generally not a problem
in environments where you can move back and still fit more, but presents a problem when working very
close to a subject in tight space environments.
4. DX lens incompatibility with FX – if you have DX lenses and one day decide to switch over to FX, you will
have to purchase non-DX lenses to utilize the full resolution of a full-frame camera. DX lenses do work
on FX sensors, but only at half the resolution.
5. Lens diffraction – DX sensors cause more lens diffraction when small apertures above f/8-f/11 are used.
6. Smaller viewfinder size – due to a smaller mirror and pentaprism/pentamirror used on DX cameras, the
viewfinder on DX is smaller and not as bright when compared to FX.
Mirror size differences between D300 and D700:
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Nikon D300 vs D700
4) Advantages and disadvantages of FX format
Now how does FX compare to DX?
Advantages of FX format
1. Scalability – due to the large size of the sensor, FX format allows two different configurations: one with
lots of resolution (Nikon D3x) and one with better sensitivity and speed (Nikon D3s) for different needs.
For example, landscape and fashion photographers need large print sizes and would therefore want
more resolution, while wildlife and sports photographers need the speed and low amounts of noise in
dim environments.
2. Higher sensitivity and lower noise – as I have pointed out above, pixel size plays a significant role in
sensitivity levels of the camera, along with controlling noise levels at high ISOs. For example, Nikon
D700 (FX) has a similar number of pixels as Nikon D90/D300s (DX) and yet the pixels on the D700 are
much bigger in size than on D90/D300s. So, if you were to compare ISO 800 on these cameras, the
Nikon D700 image would look much cleaner compared to Nikon D90/D300s.
3. Large dynamic range – again, bigger pixel size allows collecting more light particles, which results in
larger dynamic range when compared to DX.
4. No field of view issue – with FX, forget about such things as “crop factor” and “equivalent focal length”
– you get a similar field of view as if you were shooting film.
5. Lens compatibility – FX lenses are backwards compatible with DX lenses, meaning that they will work
perfectly on DX bodies as well.
6. Lens diffraction – compared to DX, lens diffraction is typical to 35mm film and starts to affect image
sharpness at smaller apertures above f/11-f/16.
7. Larger and brighter viewfinder – large sensor means large mirror and pentaprism, which means a large
and brighter viewfinder. Focusing with a large viewfinder is much easier, because you see more details.
8. Wide is truly wide – an ultra wide-angle lens such as Nikon 16-35mm f/4 is not really that wide on a DX
body, because of the crop factor. This problem goes away on FX and you get the true 16mm field of
view as you would if you were using 35mm film.
Disadvantages of FX format
1. High cost – large FX sensors are expensive to manufacture than DX sensors. Nikon’s FX sensor is a
flagship product and the company only uses it in professional-grade DSLR cameras such as Nikon
D700/D3s/D3x.
2. Lens sharpness and vignetting – because FX utilizes a much larger area than DX on the lens, corner
performance on lenses might become an issue, although Nikon has been updating their lens line and
releasing new lenses that deliver outstanding corner performance for FX sensors. For example, the
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G lenses were both introduced specifically for FX needs.
3. Size and weight – larger internal components, rugged body and professional electronics all add up to
the weight, making FX cameras the heaviest in Nikon’s line of DSLRs. With the release of the D700 DSLR
that has a similar size and dimensions to D300s, Nikon has diminished the gap between top of the line
DX camera and FX, however, the difference is still quite large when compared to entry-level DSLRs such
as Nikon D3000/D5000.
5) DX and FX – high ISO image samplesNow let’s move on to the good stuff – a real image comparison between DX and FX sensors in high sensitivity
(ISO) levels. In this example, I used a Nikon D300, D700 and D3s cameras and tested each at ISO 800, 1600,
3200 and 6400. Images from the Nikon D3 would look identical to the ones from D700, which is why it was
not included in the test. Here is the sample are that I used for the test:
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I cropped the lower center portion of the image from each image. I used the Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D lens @
35mm for this test with the default camera settings and shot in RAW. In order to get the same field of view on
the Nikon D300 camera (due to 1.5x crop factor), I had to change the focal length to approximately 23mm on
the lens. The below images are 100% crops and they are NOT resized in any way, so the sharpness and noise
levels are somewhat accurate. Each image is tagged with the camera and ISO information and I highly
recommend clicking on the images to be able to compare them through our image viewer. EXIF data is also
preserved for those who want to see the camera settings. High ISO noise reduction was set to “Normal” in all
cameras. No sharpening was applied to any of the images. I did not bother comparing ISO lower than 800,
because this is a high ISO test. One thing to note though, is that Nikon D300 has a little more noise between
ISO 200 and 800 compared to Nikon D700/D3s.
ISO 800 (Left top: Nikon D300, Right top: Nikon D700, Left bottom: Nikon D3s):
The difference between DX and FX is already pronounced at ISO 800. The image from the Nikon D300 DX
sensor looks looks noisy and we are beginning to lose a little bit of sharpness. Nikon D700 and D3s look
almost identical with no visible noise.
ISO 1600:
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At ISO 1600, the Nikon D300 is extremely noisy and there is clear evidence of loss of sharpness and detail in
the image. Nikon D700 starts having a little bit of noise in the shadows and Nikon D3s is still very clean.
ISO 3200:
The situation at ISO 3200 changes dramatically. Nikon D300 looks pretty bad, while Nikon D700 is still
retaining sharpness, but has some noise in the shadows. Nikon D3s is shining again with the least amount of
noise in the picture.
ISO 6400:
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At ISO 6400, the image from Nikon D300 is unusable. Nikon D700 has a considerable amount of noise and
starting to lose some sharpness, while D3s has a touch of noise but retained all sharpness and details.
As you can see, the difference between DX and FX is substantial. If we measure the above in full stops, the
difference between DX and the most current FX sensor is around 3 stops. Take a look at these two images for
comparison:
The image on the left is Nikon D300 at ISO 800 and the image on the right is Nikon D3s at ISO 6400! When I
look closely, the image from the Nikon D3s actually looks sharper than the image from D300, which means
that there is even more than 3 stops of difference between the two. In addition, despite the fact that I used
the same color profile, white balance and saturation levels on both images, the image from the D3s has better
colors.
6) ConclusionAs I have explained in this article and demonstrated with the above image samples, the difference between
DX and FX sensors is quite clear when it comes to overall image quality. The first generation Nikon FX sensors
from D700 and D3 are about 1.5 stops better than DX counterparts, while the second generation D3s FX
camera is over 3 stops better than DX. The size of the sensor and pixels within the sensor is extremely
important and FX shows that it is a far more capable sensor than DX when it comes to noise, dynamic range
and other factors.
The big question that everybody asks at one point or another, is if FX is so much better than DX, will DX be
eventually phased out and completely replaced by FX? My answer is probably not for now, definitely not until
the cost of FX goes down significantly. Nikon will probably continue producing and selling DX lenses for a
number of years.
I hope my article will help you to clearly understand the difference between the two formats and remove all
confusion around DX and FX sensors. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments section
below.
Related posts:
1. Nikon D700/D3 vs D3s High ISO Noise Comparison
2. First Nikon DSLR and Lens
3. Nikon D3s vs D3x
4. Nikon announces D700, SB-900 and two lenses
5. Understanding ISO – A Beginner’s Guide
FILED UNDER: CAMERAS AND LENSES TAGGED WITH: LENS, NIKON, NIKON D3, NIKON D300, NIKON D700, NIKON DX, NIKON
FX, PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS, TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
About Nasim Mansurov
is a professional photographer based out of Denver, Colorado. He is the author and founder of
Photography Life, along with a number of other online resources. Read more about Nasim here.
3 More
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
9/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
Comments
1) Morten
March 24, 2010 at 3:52 am
Yet another great article that gives a detailed overview of the subject at hand. Thanks for all
the effort that has been put into this.
REPLY
5) Nasim Mansurov
March 24, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Morten, you are most welcome! Thanks for the feedback :)
REPLY
165) Franz Elizondo
November 1, 2011 at 7:38 pm
Thanks Nasim, Great explanation.
REPLY
83) Kevin
December 16, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Thank you so so much for this, as far as being to long NEVER. There could never be to much
information, you have “Cleared” the clouds hanging over me and answered my Question.
Be Safe,
Kevin
REPLY
97) Kim
February 6, 2011 at 2:46 am
Thank you for this very nice overview of characteristics and advantages of DX vs. FX. This is
an issue often discussed, especially among wildlife photographers. I wonder whether anyone made a
realistic comparison of this two combinations:
1. DX camera (e.g. D300) with a long tele (e.g. 500/4 AF-S VRII) @ ISO 400
2. FX camera (e.g. D700) with a long tele (e.g. 500/4 AF-S VRII) + TC-14EII @ ISO 800
These two combination represent a real choice in field obtaining an image with the same field of view
at the same lighting conditions.
Kim
REPLY
200) Cori Thompson
March 20, 2012 at 10:40 pm
You have a a fantastic way of explaining a somewhat confusing topic. I’m new to the world
of DSLRs and I will return to your site for future explainations…as I’m sure I’ll need them!
REPLY
2) sm
March 24, 2010 at 5:36 am
Thanks. Lots of effort must have gone into this. Very nicely done. Btw, can you write
something on tripods, how to choose, what to buy, your personal recommendations?
I look forward to your post everyday…
REPLY
6) Nasim Mansurov
March 24, 2010 at 7:45 pm
sm, you are most welcome!
Sounds good, I will put tripods on the list of articles to write about :)
REPLY
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3) Tom
March 24, 2010 at 5:40 am
Thanks for the article and the sample photos. Great job.
REPLY
7) Nasim Mansurov
March 24, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Tom, I wanted to correct myself from yesterday’s conversation. It looks like battery power
has no impact on AF performance and autofocus on the D700 works exactly the same way as in D3.
This was concluded through some rigorous testing by a group of professionals, which matches what
Nikon said about AF on D700. However, there is a difference in AF performance between D300 and
D700 – D300 is inferior in focus acquisition speed and accuracy.
I apologize for giving you misleading information :)
REPLY
4) Matt Mathai
March 24, 2010 at 11:26 am
Thank you for this article. It’s a very clear explanation of the differences between the sensors.
I shoot pro soccer and baseball using a D200 (with a DX sensor), and when I make the change (almost
ready to buy a D3S) I will lose the 50% extension in reach. I suppose I could shoot in crop mode at the
expense of resolution, but I guess I’ll learn through practice.
REPLY
8) Nasim Mansurov
March 24, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Matt, you are most welcome!
First of all, you will not lose 50% reach – the crop factor multiplier is 1.5, not 2x. For example, if your
focal length is 300mm and you are on DX, your equivalent field of view relative to FX is 450mm. So,
when you switch to FX, there will be no crop factor and you will be shooting true 300mm.
In terms of FX, trust me, once you switch over to Nikon D3s, you will forget about the reach.
Sharpness, clarity and contrast are going to blow you away and you will get much better results than
on your D200. No need to shoot in crop mode – just shoot regularly and you will see what I mean :)
If you want to upgrade to a D3s, make sure to take advantage of the current Nikon rebates that are
ending this weekend. Even if you do not need a lens, buy the cheaper 70-300mm or 18-200mm VR II
and you can sell them at a good price.
Let me know if you have any questions. By the way, I will be posting some image samples from the D3s
on my blog very soon.
REPLY
11) Matt Mathai
March 24, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Hi Nasim, thanks for the reply. You’re right, it’s not a 50% loss in reach, it’s a loss of the
50% gain going from 300 to 450mm, i.e. a net 33% loss. :)
I’m eager to see the results from the FX sensor. I know my friends who use D3 and D700 bodies
have been extremely pleased. I’ll definitely do some experimenting shooting full-frame vs. in crop
mode.
The thing I’m looking forward to most of all is the low-light handling of the D3S. It should allow me
to use much faster shutter speeds without much additional noise. Goodbye motion blur!
Sadly, I won’t be able to buy the new body for another few weeks – Uncle Sam must be kept
happy.
I just discovered your blog recently, so haven’t had a chance to look through all of it, but another
area I’m really interested in is workflow. People tell me that I should shoot RAW, but I’m concerned
that handling the large number of images I get during a game might be too difficult. (Right now I
just use jpg format.) Perhaps a workflow tool like Lightroom might come in useful to make things
easier. There’s so much to learn…
I look forward to seeing your sample D3S shots.
REPLY
12) Nasim Mansurov
March 24, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Matt, borrow or rent an FX body for a day or two and try it out in a real environment
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
11/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
to see the difference.
Nikon D3s is the low-light king right now – nothing else matches the high ISO performance of
the D3s, especially above ISO 6400. And yes, with those kind of ISO levels, you can certainly
increase the shutter speed by a huge margin. Sports photography and wildlife photography
are very similar in terms of requirements and I find that the D3s is the ideal tool for both as of
today.
In terms of workflow, I highly recommend shooting RAW. Check out my RAW vs JPEG article
that I have written a while ago – it gives all the reasons why you should be using RAW instead
of JPEG.
Hope this helps.
REPLY
18) Matt Mathai
March 25, 2010 at 6:19 am
Thanks, Nasim.
I’m going to play w/ shooting RAW to see how I can fit it in with what I do. As I mentioned
in my response to Jason, the amount of data is a concern. I might have to shoot JOG for
sports and RAW for all other applications.
Speaking of Lightroom, do you have any experience with Aperture? I have Macbook Pro
and iMac computers, and was wondering if Aperture might work better.
Yet another friend pointed me to Photo Mechanic, and I might give that a trial as well.
Thanks for this blog – the responsiveness from you and your readers is fantastic!
REPLY
15) Jason Tey
March 24, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Hi Matt, I thought I’d reply here as an interim in lieu of Nasim with regards to file
formats. I used to shoot everything in JPEG and after moving to RAW, I found out that there
are so many advantages that RAW offers in post production. Especially when playing around
with light levels. Nasim has an article here: http://photographylife.com/raw-vs-jpeg
As for using Adobe Lightroom 2, I started using that halfway through last year and WOW, what
a difference it makes to workflow and post production. You can do things so much faster in
lightroom. Post production (saturation, exposure, sharpening, noise reduction) that used to
take me 30 mins in photoshop now takes only 5 mins in lightroom. Can’t sing its praises more!
You can download Lightroom 3 beta and give that a try for free at the Adobe website.
(http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom3/)
REPLY
16) Nasim Mansurov
March 24, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Jason, you were reading my thoughts! Great minds think alike :)
I fully agree with you on Lightroom! Don’t know what I would do without it.
REPLY
17) Matt Mathai
March 25, 2010 at 6:16 am
Thanks, Jason.
I understand why I would want to shoot RAW for regular shooting. The prospect of having
that much control over the output is very appealing to me. The increased speed of
processing also sounds good to me.
Where my concern specifically lies is in the amount of data captured while shooting sports. I
shoot in bursts, so I might come back from a game with 1800 images. RAW file sizes are
huge, and while I know storage is getting cheaper by the minute, that’s still a lot of data,
particularly if I wanted to shoot RAW+JPG. (I don’t know if I need to do that.)
Funny, I had downloaded the Lightroom 3 beta yesterday afternoon. I’ll play with it this
weekend.
REPLY
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10) Jason Tey
March 24, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Hi Nasim from Perth Western Australia.
I’m a manager in the IT (AV Integration) field as well and I think your blog is excellent. You have thorough
articles on most fundamental photography topics and your writing style makes things so easy to
understand. Thank you! I have learnt so much. I just want to give you some words of encouragement as I
browse through your blog on a daily basis and it forms part of my morning coffee ritual at work.
I’m glad you wrote this particular article, because one thing I’ve not really been able to find a definitive
answer on in the DX/FX realm is image detail. I’ve been shooting quite substantially with my D90 since
January last year, probably shot over 40,000 images. But I notice that when I compare similar images shot
with DX vs FX, the FX images seem to have just a sharper detail to them. The blurred backgrounds on DX
also seem slightly grainy and not as smooth as what I see with the same lens on FX cameras (e.g. with my
85mm f/1.4). Is this true or is my mind trying to trick me into upgrading to FX? I hope you understand what
I’m trying to describe here.
Thanks
REPLY
9) Nasim Mansurov
March 24, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Jason, thank you so much for your feedback, I truly appreciate it. Readers like you inspire
and boost me to write more about photography, which I passionately love.
In terms of your DX and FX experience, you are not the only one who feels that way :) I photograph
birds and other wildlife a lot and FX does make a huge difference in terms of sharpness, especially
when the subject is not very close and the image is viewed at 100%. Despite the fact that I lost some
reach on FX, my D300 is now gathering dust on the shelf and I do not take it with me to photograph
wildlife anymore. I figured that it is better to have a sharp, noise-free image that I can crop, rather
than having an out of focus and noisy image that fills the frame.
In terms of noise in out of focus areas on DX, one thing that always bugged me was the fact that you
get slight noise even when using base ISO 200! This problem is definitely not present on FX sensors
and base ISO always looks extremely clean…
REPLY
13) Jason Tey
March 24, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Hi Nasim, Thanks for taking the time to reply.
I think as opposed to sharpness, what I mean is that D3 and D700 images of people and events
(like weddings) seem to yield images that have a lot more detail in them. Like every wrinkle on the
face, and lines throughout the photo seem so crisp and full of detail. I look at images captured by
the likes of Joe McNally and Ryan Brenizer (http://ryanbrenizer.com/blog) and when trying to
capture similar images on my D90, it never quite comes out with that same true-to-life quality and
fine-ness in detail. Is that what you mean by your wildlife shooting?
You know, about 2 months after I bought my D90, I also bought a D700 at a closing down
liquidation sale. At that time it was a bargain at $3k USD. However I’d just started photography
and didn’t know there would be much difference between the two so I sold off the D700. In
hindsight I regret doing that but if it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have so much experience with the
DX camera. However I’m looking at waiting for the next update to the D700 and from there I’ll
decide which upgrade path to go. I’m assuming you have both the D700 and D3s? Lucky you!
God bless, Jason.
REPLY
14) Nasim Mansurov
March 24, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Jason, the details you see on a website might not be necessarily because of the
sensor. Many photographers over-sharpen their images and separate their subjects from the
background through layers in Photoshop. So what you see on the web, in almost all cases, is a
processed image with plenty of sharpening applied to it.
Sharpness is a very relative term and there are many things that contribute to image sharpness.
Camera lens, for example, is in many cases more important than the camera sensor. A portrait
that was taken with a pro lens like Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 or 85mm f/1.4 will always stand out
when compared to something like Nikon 18-200mm VR. Subject isolation and smooth bokeh
play a huge role on how image sharpness is perceived by the human eye.
In terms of wildlife, focus accuracy is one of the most important factors and AF on FX truly
works better than on DX in my experience.
Don’t regret that you sold your FX. Nikon will be releasing an update to Nikon D700 close to the
summer of this year and it will be a much better camera than the D700 :)
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
13/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
REPLY
19) sm
April 3, 2010 at 6:25 am
hi Nasim, great post and comments. For a person using a DX camera (D 90), and planning to
upgrade to a FX in the near future ( 1-2 years), how should I go about buying lenses which would work on
my current D90 as well as future FX cameras? I currently use 18-200 (all purpose travel), a 10-24 ( for
landscapes) and a 35 1.8. All these I beleive work only on DX format cameras. If I can, I would like to buy
my newer lenses, keeping future FX purchase in mind. I do a little bit of evrything except sports and
wildlife.
REPLY
20) Nasim Mansurov
April 5, 2010 at 1:24 am
SM, what lens do you want to purchase?
You could still keep your D90 with DX lenses as a backup when you upgrade to FX, or you can sell
them at a good price later. You have great lenses that will keep their value, as long as you take a good
care of them.
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21) maja
May 13, 2010 at 11:33 pm
excellent explanation
thank you
REPLY
23) Nasim Mansurov
May 23, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Maja, you are most welcome! Please let me know if you have any questions.
REPLY
22) Paul
May 23, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Been using D300 – News paper work – Time to pick up a new camera body this summer – Shoot
alot with 300mm 2.8 at 1600 – 2500 ISO – considering the D700 with full size sensor ….. I know what I’m
getting now with the D300 and can produce pretty consistent images but would always like to do better
…. wish I could find a review of a subject shot with both camera bodies with a 300mm wide open at 40
yards at high ISO – If you know of one please let me know – No doubt the D700 produces better image
quality with short lenses – with the 1.5 multiplier on the DX do you think there would be any ground to
gain with the FX or do you think the image quality would remain about the same or less …….
Thanks for any direction you might give
REPLY
24) Nasim Mansurov
May 23, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Paul, the field of view on the Nikon D700 would obviously be smaller compared to D300
due to crop factor. However, the image quality on the D700, especially on ISO 1600-3200 would
without a doubt be superior when compared to D300. Another thing with crop factor sensors, is that
they tend to have noise even at the lowest ISOs, while FX sensors have no noise at base ISOs.
REPLY
25) Paul
May 24, 2010 at 6:02 am
Thanks for the info …. I do wish I had a 700 to try for about 10 minutes …. I could tell
pretty quick ….. I live in a small town ….. my concern was after the additional cropping the final
image quality would be about the same ….. if you happen across a rewiew that’s relevant to the
300mm or larger at high ISO’s let me know …..
Thanks again for the help!
REPLY
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
14/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
27) Nasim Mansurov
June 4, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Paul, if focal length is an issue, you can add the 1.4x TC to the 300mm f/2.8 and
recover the difference. There is no difference in sharpness when you add the 1.4x TC to the
300mm, because the lens works so darn good with teleconverters…
I do not have the 300mm f/2.8, but I do have the 300mm f/4.0 and the difference between FX
and DX is huge. Check out some of my bird photography to see some image samples.
Hope this helps, sorry for a late response :)
REPLY
29) Paul
June 6, 2010 at 4:55 pm
I’ve used the 1.4x TC on the 300mm for wildlife work and like it when there’s
enough available light – I shoot alot of night sports – A typical Friday night put me of a
football field at ISO 2500 shooting at 400th of a second at 2.8 on a monopod – under those
conditions adding the 1.4 pushes me to nearly f4 – to keep my speed up on the D300 I’d
have to raise the ISO and it gets pretty ugly at 3200 or 6400 – I’ve got a D700 coming this
week – figure I’d give it a shot – It’ll be interesting to see the difference under those
conditions – I know what the DX sensor will do ….. looking forward to up loading my first
with an FX – I’ll cover a night baseball game and do some night work on the town square –
maybe the D700 will take adding the 1.4 TC at 6400 and stay pretty clean of noise – it won’t
take long to find out – I appreaciate all the info and feed back!
Thanks!
REPLY
30) Paul
June 7, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Is there anything on the set up menu of the D700 that I particularly need to
pay attention to that’s different than the D300?
Seems like most of the focus settings are the same ….
Tks
Paul
31) Nasim Mansurov
June 8, 2010 at 10:49 am
Paul, if ISO 2500 was acceptable to you on DX, ISO 6400 will also be quite
acceptable, for sure. For my photography, I personally prefer to keep ISO under 1600,
but use 3200 and even 6400 every once in a while.
I am sure you will be more than impressed with the quality of your images from an FX
sensor. For me, it is a night and day difference, especially for fast-action photography.
The bigger viewfinder will also let you see more and focus better, so you will have a lot
more keepers.
32) Nasim Mansurov
June 8, 2010 at 10:50 am
Paul, did you already receive your D700? :) Yes, most of the focus settings are
the same, so the learning curve for you is very minimal.
Good luck with your photography, looking forward for your shots from the D700!
26) Dawn Taylor
May 24, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Wow…you make me really want the D700! I am going to have to do some serious thinking
now. Replacing all my DX lenses will be an added expense to the change and may not happen as fast as I’d
like it sure seems like it would be worth it in the long run. Thanks so much for your help.
REPLY
28) Nasim Mansurov
June 4, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Dawn, you are most welcome! Please let me know if you have any questions.
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
15/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
REPLY
33) Paul
June 28, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Well I’ve run probably 5K shots through the D700 – Tried to use it in a variety of environments
– the more demanding situations I shoot in – Low light – the swing of a batter at the plate ect. – Had alot
of thoughts going through my head concerning it the last couple of weeks – Still got some things to
determine – It’s my first work with the FX sensor.
First thing I noticed – my 24-70 2.8 was a 24-70 again – had to make myself move closer even shooting
‘grip and grins’ for the paper. I’ve used DX for about 10 years. Funny we’re such creatures of habit.
The weight – I’ve been a full size camera body guy for a long time – anything other than that just doesn’t
feel right in my hand – It is noticeably heavier than the D300 with the same MD10.
The camera set up was very comfortable – similar to the 300.
Framing FX vs. DX – for some aspects of the sports I shoot the crop factor with the full size sensor is an
issue but nothing that the 1.4 TC can’t take care of when ample light is available. I loose a little pop in the
shot with the TC but usually make a small adjustment in exposure or editing to bring it out a little more –
The DX-FX cropping feature on the menue is something I will probably work into my shooting work flow
under certain situations – first time I’ve ever had that feature available and I like it so far – remember I shot
mainly for news papers – the loss of image size is rarely an issue.
Noise at High ISO – 1600 and above I consider a high ISO – some guys consider anything 800 and over
high – but their usually not sports photographers – I shoot alot of night sports at 2500 – I’m amazed at
the difference in the noise levels in the FX and DX senors – I didn’t realize I had developed a habit of
shooting the DX a little hot – Guess it’s a carry over from the TriX 400 BW film days – always shot it a little
hot – with DX even at ISO 200 any shadows which the camera sees as underexposed is going to have
quite a bit of noise in it – I use the exposure compensation setting to dial things up a little better – use the
histogram alot setting exposures – anyway – the FX sensor is so much cleaner throughout the shot – How
much faster can I shoot? – I’d say as clean as the FX is at 2500 I can push it to 4000 when I need the speed
and not pay to high of price for the adjustment –
Well I guess that’s enough for the time being – I’ll post an up date from time to time – maybe I’ll figure out
if I can load a shot or two …….
As far as the FX vs. DX senors I appreciate all the info you’ve given me – I have to say I found everything
you’ve said to be accurate – I’m pleased with my investment – I just have to apply the info to the type I do
………
Really wish Nikon had gone full size years ago!
Thanks again!
Paul
REPLY
34) Nasim Mansurov
July 3, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Paul, thanks for sharing your experience with the Nikon D700!
Yes, the D700 is certainly heavier than the D300 (170 grams difference), so I tend to only take the
battery grip with me when I shoot landscapes and need to use the L bracket. As you noted, the feel is
exactly the same as with the D300, even with the MB-D10. When it comes to slight loss of reach, I too
do not consider it an issue for my wildlife photography, because I attach the 1.4x TC in most cases and
the nice thing is, if the lighting conditions are poor, I still have the chance to remove the 1.4x TC and
get superb autofocus and low-light performance out of the camera and lens. For the glass that I use
(Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, Nikon 300mm f/4.0 AF-S and Nikon 200-400mm f/4.0 VR), adding the
1.4x TC is almost unnoticeable when it comes to contrast and sharpness. I’m so used to the 1.4x TC,
that I rarely go out without it when I need the reach.
In terms of noise, one of the annoying things about DX, is shadow noise as you pointed out – never
was a fan of it. Having grain in pictures at base ISO is not pleasant and running noise-reduction
software is just a waste of time. Once you see how clean the images are on FX, it is hard to go back to
DX – my D300 has been gathering dust on the shelf for months now!
I am very happy to see that you are enjoying your D700 – it is a nice review from a pro-sports
photographer and I am sure many other photographers will find your review very useful.
Thank you once again for your feedback! If you would like to share some of your images with our
readers, you could either upload them to Flickr and then provide the URL here, or we could put them
up as a case study, in which case it would probably be best to email me the images.
Sincerely,
Nasim
REPLY
35) Paul
July 19, 2010 at 7:38 am
I really appreciate all your work on the DX-FX info …… in every situation I’ve
encountered to date your information has been on the money …….
I used it over the weekend covering an indoor swim meet at the University of the South …… shot
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
16/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
from a range of 1600-2000-2500 ISO at a variety of shutter speeds dialing the camera into the
conditions and the noise level or should I say lack of noise is great ….. it was the type situation I
could have worked through with the FX – BUT it would have taken alot more time in editing …..
great to start with a better original image!
Thanks again for all your help ………
just a note – taking a look a lightroom3 – downloaded the trial – never used anything but Nixon
and Photoshop in the past …… using Capture NX2 presently – all the importing and exporting is
really different ……. haven’t found the word “save” or “save as” anywhere! HA!
but giving it a shot …… found a couple features I really like!
Paul
REPLY
40) Nasim Mansurov
July 29, 2010 at 2:16 am
Paul, I’m glad that you are enjoying your D700 and trying out LR3.
Lightroom is very powerful, I would recommend to get Scott Kelby’s LR book or view some of
the online articles/videos on LR3. Easy to learn and yet very powerful!
REPLY
36) buji
July 19, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Great discussion Nasim, better one that I came across on the internet. I am a D90 user and have
been planning to move to FX because I do have to increase ISO in my settings and the grain get to
noticeable on the D90. I have started to buy FX lenses only and am using them on the D90. I use the Noise
Reduction in CNX2.
I have not upgraded, because all the rumors out there about the D700 upgrade (you also mentioned it). I
am waiting to see what comes out, depending on that I may go for the new D700 or the D3s.
Here are my three questions:
1) Is the D700 upgrade coming out soon?
2) Did you ever needed Noise Reduction, if yes what worked best for you?
3) I use CNX2 because I have been reading that it reads the Nikon NEF files best? You mentioned that you
use Lightroom; do you see any benefit of having CNX2 for the reason if it reading NEF files best?
REPLY
37) sm
July 19, 2010 at 4:12 pm
hi Buji,
I use LR (Lightroom) for capturing D90 raw files and LR3 is pretty good in my humble opinion. I like to
keep things simple and using LR simplies the workflow quite a bit. It also has Noise Reduction within it,
which I beleive works pretty well. See Nasim’s latest post on this.
Btw, which FX lenses are you currently using on D90? Whats your experience with them?
REPLY
38) buji
July 19, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Thx, I actually saw the post on Noise Reduction right after my comment, which is very
helpful. I considered Dfine, but understood it does not currently plug into CNX2. A few people
have remarked the strength of LR, incl workflow efficiencies. I’ve considered it, but I really like
CNX2, so I’ll need more convincing I guess :)
I’ve used the 50mm/1.4G (love it!) as my main lens for the last 18 months and just got the 24-70/2.8
for zooming flexibility in near range. 70-200/2.8 vrii in my dreams, but out of reach for now.
REPLY
42) Nasim Mansurov
July 29, 2010 at 2:25 am
Oops, should have read your comment before responding, oh well :)
The best way to see if you like LR3 is to try it. I believe Adobe gives a 30 day trial version for
free…
REPLY
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
17/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
41) Nasim Mansurov
July 29, 2010 at 2:23 am
Buji, there is plenty of speculation in the air about an update to D700. Some people say
there will be one this summer, others say there won’t. I would wait at least until Photokina to see
what happens. I’m suspecting an update to D3000 and D90, and not sure about D700. Schedule-wise,
it was supposed to be released this year, but Nikon might delay the release until next year for financial
reasons.
In terms of noise reduction, I do use it for shots above ISO 1600, but selectively. I recently wrote an
article on noise reduction, so check it out.
Capture NX can read some image attributes other software can’t, but I don’t really use those (such as
sharpening/saturation and d-lighting) – I tweak those in Lightroom and it is working out great for me.
Hope this helps.
REPLY
39) Yousif Dafalla
July 27, 2010 at 3:51 am
Thank you very much.
This is a very useful and Fantastic Article.
Thank you again
REPLY
43) Nasim Mansurov
July 29, 2010 at 2:25 am
Yousif, you are most welcome!
REPLY
44) Ben
August 9, 2010 at 3:49 am
Very clearly and thoroughly explained. Thank you.
REPLY
45) Nasim Mansurov
August 18, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Ben, you are most welcome!
REPLY
46) Eric
August 25, 2010 at 5:15 am
Nasim, Another great article. Since I visited your site, I can’t stop reading all your articles!
I bought D5000 last year and to be honest, I wish I bought FX back then. I still think D5000 is great
camera but I really want FX now.
I’m a hobbyist and not a professional photographer, meaning that I don’t making living or sell my pics (at
least not yet).
Am I just being “wanting next best thing” if I buy D3s or D700 ? It is alot of money but I really wanna get
my hands on D3s.
What do you think?
REPLY
48) Nasim Mansurov
September 1, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Thank you Eric! Well, if you switch to FX (especially D3s) from D5000, it will certainly be a
big change for you. Not only in terms of weight, features and new functionalities you will have to
learn, but also image quality…
Let me warn you though – buying cameras is always a bad investment. If you only shoot for fun, I
would buy quality lenses and a good camera body like D90/D700 instead (D90 replacement should be
out this year). If money is not an issue for you, then go for the D3s and get some good-quality pro-
level lenses.
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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
18/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
50) Eric
September 2, 2010 at 6:16 am
Nasim, Thanks for the reply. As you might’ve guessed from other posts on your blog, I
ended up getting good used D3 instead of D3s new or D700 new or used. I knew I always want
some D3 or D3s level of Speed and 100% viewfinder but just couldn’t spend money for D3s. I got a
good deal on this used D3 and very happy with it. I could’ve saved some money for D700 used but
I knew I would regret not getting D3 or D3s. Thanks for the reply and great site!
REPLY
47) Dan Wynne
August 29, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Great article Nasim.
I’ve got a d5000 with kit lenses 18-55 and 55-200. I did alot of baseball photos this year and was very
pleased with the results, I’ll be doing soccer this fall. But I’ve tried taking the camera indoors for
basketball and volleyball. As you know I either have to settle for noise at a higher ISO or blur with a slower
shutter speed. I’ve been considering picking up the 70-200 f2.8 VRII and wanted your opinion,
worthwhile investment for my DX body or will noise still be too much of an issue at the higher ISO?
Thanx! – Danny
REPLY
49) Nasim Mansurov
September 1, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Dan, shooting indoors with a DX body is certainly going to be challenging. Ideally, it would
be best to get an FX body + 70-200mm f/2.8G VRII, but if budget is an issue, I would go for the lens
first and see how you like the results. If you are dealing with dim indoors environment, you might
have to use flashes instead…
REPLY
72) Wayne
December 5, 2010 at 10:24 am
I just came across this article and your questions. I have been shooting just what you talk
about in varying light conditions of school gyms, including those that have motion detector lights that
go out for half the court when there is no activity like you find during an elementary school basketball
game.
I went from a D100 (plus extras) to a D200/grip and 800 flash and a 70-200VR 2.8. I set the flash to Fill
mode and high speed sync, Shutter Priority 1/250 (Nikon’s crappy flash sync speed) and almost always
bounce the flash off a back wall. That gives even lighting and not the “deer in the headlights” look of
a direct flash. The D200 does a very good job of exposure adjustment and controlling the flash.
My reason for explanation is to second Nasim’s comments on “lens before camera”. The 70-200VR 2.8
is remarkable! In tough light, it works great with the camera to track a player through the mayhem.
The old days of having to predict a focus spot are just a memory. The setup is bulky with everything
attached but I find it reasonably balance with the battery holder.
My biggest complaint with the DX is the small viewfinder area. I wear glasses and I lose even more
viewfinder area, especially the information portion and don’t like the feeling of moving my face
around while concentrating on the subject. I have found that I just let the camera do the work after
initial setup when doing sports shooting. That issue, and higher ISO/low noise, has led me to go with a
D700. I don’t have any time on it yet so can’t compare low light gym shots.
We’ve all read it before and some of us seem to fight it, just like I did (or do) …..good lenses before
new camera…..find a good used 70-200VR 2.8 for sports in difficult situations and you will buy a new
bag that keeps it attached and ready.
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51) iulia cosman
October 20, 2010 at 1:04 am
Thank you for the article, it was extremely helpful clearing the difference between DX and FX,
the importance of the size of the pixels etc. It made a very big difference in my undesrstand on whitch
camera suits whitch photographic need.
I started to shoot weddings with a D90 but I really need a better camera and started reserch on which one
to choose.I undestand the great difference between DX and FX, and I can’t decide between D700 and
D3s.Is it worth spending almost twice the money on D3s for wedding photography? Could I get
aproximatly the same results from D700 with good lenses?
Thank you.
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
19/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
REPLY
52) Nasim Mansurov
October 22, 2010 at 2:21 am
Iulia, yes, the Nikon D700 is a great camera and you can certainly get very comparable
results to D3s if you use the camera right and have good lenses. I know many photographers use the
D700, although they can easily afford the D3s…
REPLY
53) Brooke
October 23, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Ah, thank you VERY much for writing this! I’ve been looking for an article saturated with
information and not so many opinions. It seems everyone likes to voice their concerns but never the facts
haha. Your article was extremely helpful to me. I have a perfect idea of what type of upgrade will suit me.
Thank you =^_^=
REPLY
59) Nasim Mansurov
November 17, 2010 at 10:44 am
Brooke, thank you for your feedback – I’m glad you found the article useful.
REPLY
54) Jacques
October 27, 2010 at 8:18 am
Very well written and clearly explained. Thanks!
REPLY
60) Nasim Mansurov
November 17, 2010 at 10:44 am
Thank you for your feedback Jacques!
REPLY
55) Clifford
November 1, 2010 at 5:21 pm
wonderful explanation! thanks
Clifford
D80, 18-200mm VR
REPLY
61) Nasim Mansurov
November 17, 2010 at 10:45 am
Clifford you are most welcome!
REPLY
56) Hans
November 2, 2010 at 4:48 am
This is an awesome article!
REPLY
62) Nasim Mansurov
November 17, 2010 at 10:45 am
Thank you for your feedback Hans!
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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
20/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
57) Praveen
November 3, 2010 at 1:43 am
first of all thanks for this wonderful post, explaining the topic very clearly. its very easy to
understand for a amateur like me. Appreciation for the effort you have put for this.
THANKS AGAIN.
REPLY
63) Nasim Mansurov
November 17, 2010 at 10:45 am
You are most welcome Praveen!
REPLY
58) Jim
November 12, 2010 at 10:32 am
Great article! It answered all my questions but one:
Are lenses made specifically for the DX format still subject to the ‘multiplier’ of 1.5, or has that already
been taken into account? For example, is the 70-300 DX lens that came with my D90 still comparable to a
105-450 FX lens on an FX sensor? I want to buy a ‘standard’ lens for the D90, and in my 35mm film days
that was a 50mm lens. So, do I get a 50mm DX lens for the same field of view, or should I get a 35mm DX
lens?
Thanks!!
REPLY
64) Nasim Mansurov
November 17, 2010 at 10:47 am
Jim,
I have just recently posted an article on “Equivalent Focal Length and Field of View“, which specifically
answers your question. To make the long story short, the multiplier of 1.5 has to be applied regardless
of whether it is a DX or FX lens – the lens optics stay the same. So yes, the 70-300mm will be
comparable to 105-450mm in terms of field of view and your 35mm will be like a normal 50mm lens.
REPLY
65) jim
November 23, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Excellent article! NASIM IF YOU HAVE A 300 MM F4 LENS, WHAT IS THE BEST SENSOR FOR
SHARP WILDLIFE SHOTS-DX OR FX?
REPLY
74) Nasim Mansurov
December 7, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Jim, FX hands down :)
REPLY
66) Hector
November 26, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Hi Nasim:
Thanks for your detailed information. It would help me to determine the correct camera for me and the
pro or cons of each sensor. Actually I am really interest to buy the D7000 that use DX sensor. The lens that
I am interest is the 28-300 f/3.5 AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. This lens is for FX camera, but
has a good zoom. As I read in your articule, FX lens can work in DX cameras. If I use this FX lens on DX
camera, can the focal length can be affected or reduced. I really appreciatte your recomendation.
thanks
REPLY
75) Nasim Mansurov
December 7, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Hector, sorry for a late response!
See my “Equivalent focal length and field of view” article, where I explain what happens to lenses on
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
21/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
cropped/DX sensors.
REPLY
67) Eric
November 27, 2010 at 2:29 pm
this is probably the best article i’ve read on this topic. the ISO 800 vs. 6400 comparison on
d300 vs d3s speaks for itself and is rather eye-opening.
i currently shoot with d90 and d300s and am considering an FX move. i need to pull the trigger today
(Nov. 27) b/c its the last day for Nikon Rebates. i’m planning on picking up 24-70 and 70-200 II and down
the line adding 50/1.4 and 85/1.4, probably 70-300 as well. i do mainly PJ and concert shooting so
landscape and wildlife arent a huge priority for me right now. i do have a sigma 15-30 i can use for W/A on
FX, but i’m not sure i need 16-34 or 14-24, though they both sound fantastic.
i know i will keep much of my DX kit for times when i need to be stealthy or weight is an issue and i like the
d90 w/35/1.8 combo for street (the d300s also matches well with the sigma 30, size- and balance-wise.)
…anyway, i am still on the fence over D700 vs. d3s. i’m a little concerned the d3s will make me forget
about the d300s, which i love, but for concert shooting in low-light, there is none currently better. so
that’s a plus for d3s. i’ve gone as high as 2500-3200 with the d300, which is a body i’m very comfortable
with, so it’s hard to imagine what clean 6400 would do for my shooting.
OTOH, it looks like the d700 is very competent at ISO 3200, with usable 6400, which would still give me a
boost over d300s in similar situations. the d700 is more portable than D3s and has pop-up flash for quick
fill. but in terms of cross-compatibility, d90, 300s and 700 all share the same battery and d300/700 share
the same grip. this could be very useful in the field, especially in travel situations, since you can essentially
switch batteries/use spares for all three cameras. however, the d3s uses a different battey–which means a
different kind of spare and different type of charger. i do want to do more travel shooting in the future,
and not sure a d3s would really be that great there–its too big/bulky and not unobtrusive at all. also too
expensive–why take a $5k camera to a country where it represents 5-10x their yearly income?
so, therein lies the rub–to go for the smaller, lighter body with better cross-format compatibility and very
good high ISO, or to shoot the moon and nab the bigger, bulkier body with excellent high ISO? i suppose i
can always get a d700 down the road, maybe when they fall to $1500 or so, which will probably happen
when the d800 comes out.
you probably wont be able to respond before i make my decision, but i thought i’d lay out my line of
thinking, in the hope it will help others in similar situations. i’m not sure i’m really asking a question
anyone can answer but me, anyway. so, suffice to say, nasim, you have confirmed that FX would be a
good move for me. keep up the good work!
REPLY
68) Nasim Mansurov
November 27, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Eric, given how much D700 has come down (currently $2,349 + rebates), I would personally
go for the D700. Not that I don’t love my D3s, but if you own a D300s, the D700 would make not only
a good economical sense for you, but also sharing batteries, charges, etc. I used to travel with my
D300 + D700 and two lenses and having one charger is certainly a bonus. My wife does not like the
D3s because it is too big for her and too heavy/bulky. The weight is not an issue for me, but when I
travel now, I have to take two separate chargers… In addition, the battery for the D3s is also pretty
darn expensive.
Plus, the D4 is going to be much better than D3s when it comes out early next year.
By the way, are you going to be purchasing your gear through B&H?
REPLY
69) mike
November 27, 2010 at 10:38 pm
A very nice article for a beginner professional. In this [republican created] down economy and
crushed housing market [ex-carpenter] the only other skill set i have to fall back on is photography.
Since I haven’t been active in this for well over a decade or two [since the advent of digital & my basement
dark room was scorned}, I'm currently looking for a new set-up.
I have, i believe, narrowed it to the D700. I like the new Olympus E5 [any comments?] & the Cannon Mark,
but the D700 seems untouchable for the money, do to your article.
Thanks
p.s. i only recently secured the site, so it is not up yet and i am waiting for my business license.
REPLY
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
22/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
70) Nasim Mansurov
November 27, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Mike, today is the last day for the rebate for D700. Below is the link to the rebate. I have a
d700 and use it a lot! It is a great camera.
http://photographylife.com/nikon-rebates-are-expiring-today
REPLY
71) Nasim Mansurov
November 29, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Never mind – the rebates have been extended till 12/11/2010.
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73) John
December 5, 2010 at 10:28 am
Thanks for the article. Very clear explaination, details, expert knowledges….that help me
decide to submit my purchase yesterday
Estimate time for delivery from B7H is this coming friday for D700 and 18-120 f4 for $3328 after $300
saving.
I need your advice for couple of extra glass in the future. I am a beginner, not a pro photographer.
Thanks
John
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76) Nasim Mansurov
December 7, 2010 at 6:33 pm
John, looks like you got yourself a sweet deal! :)
Let me know if you have any questions on lenses in the future, will be glad to help!
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77) david leung
December 8, 2010 at 11:16 am
I can’t say enough thank you(s) for making the explanation so simple.
REPLY
79) Nasim Mansurov
December 10, 2010 at 4:43 pm
David, glad you found it helpful, thanks for stopping by!
REPLY
78) Mike
December 10, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Thank you. I stumbled on this looking for a simple answer. You provided a complex answer in a
simple way. Well done!
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80) Nasim Mansurov
December 10, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Thank you for your feedback Mike!
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81) Mon Montero
December 11, 2010 at 7:00 am
Hi Nasim, i just want your advised because some of my friend have a D700 camera (body only)
and he want to trade in to my newly bought D7000 kit, but his D700 have already 80,000 shutter release
(actuation?) and my D7000 have only 600 actuation, i really want to have a FX body camera, because i
always shoot indoors and mostly low light situation, but my budget is very tight so I decided to by DX
body (D7000) Until now i don’t know if i will trade my camera or not..What do u think? Thanks in
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
23/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
advanced..
REPLY
87) Nasim Mansurov
January 5, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Mon, 80,000 shutter actuations is not too bad. My D700 has over 150,000. As long as the
camera is in good condition, you should be safe.
REPLY
82) Prajakt
December 13, 2010 at 1:14 am
Hi Nasim,
Thanks a lot for such a nice article on important subject.
I need some help in taking decision on Nikon FX camera. I am using Canon 40D for last 3 years and mainly
into landscape photography. I always wanted to venture also into candid photography, but 40Ds high
ISO performance restricted me to some extent. Over the period, I personally feel that Nikon’s metering
and high ISO performance in field, are more advanced than equivalent Canons. I have made up my mind
to switch to Nikon brand. I had targeted intially for Nikon D700 but its a more than 2 years old body now. I
have seen couple of high ISO snaps from D7000 which look comparable till ISO 6400 to Nikon D700. I am
worried about my probable investment in D700 considering a relatively older technology to D7000. Also
there is a risk of Nikon launching another full frame (D700S / D700x) in next 2-3 months. The current cost
of D700 is stabilized and is in good range. But if Nikon launches another full frame, the cost would be
again touching $3000. With these parameters, would you recommend going along with D7000? Or should
I wait for Nikon to launch another full frame body? Or a combination of D7000 and full frame lenses like
16-35 F4 would be good? Please do reply me back.
Regards,
Prajakt
REPLY
88) Nasim Mansurov
January 5, 2011 at 5:14 pm
Prajakt, I would personally go with an FX camera. Wait until Nikon releases another FX
body. Not only will the prices on D700 drop, but that new FX body might be well worth the money
(when compared to D700).
REPLY
90) Prajakt
January 5, 2011 at 9:48 pm
Thanks Nasim for your response inspite of your busy schedule. I would wait for Nikon
to release there new full frame body. I have another query, if you can please respond to. In India,
when I discussed with my friends, they are of the opinion that going forward there would be much
R & D on APS-C sensor and DX lenses since the number of users of DX bodies are huge compared to
FX bodies. Becuase of this, the cost of DX bodies, DX lenses would be much regulated that FX
counterparts. And this might lead to very limited availability of options on FX lenses. Will it be a
valid argument to think about DX bodies and DX lenses?
Do reply :-)
REPLY
100) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Prajakt, no, I disagree with your friends. DX is not going to die for sure, but I would
not worry about price regulations, etc.
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84) Vlad
December 18, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Hi Nasim.
I have a question. In Nikon D3s specifications said that you can switch from FX to DX format.
So, if I put 70-200 lens on D3s in FX it will be full frame, but if I switch to DX same lens on D3s
will become 105-300 and I can see it through viewfinder 50% bigger ? Have you tried it with your D3s ? Let
me know if it works that way.
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
24/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
Thanks Vlad
REPLY
89) Nasim Mansurov
January 5, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Vlad, no, it doesn’t work that way. There is no magnification between DX and FX – all you
are getting, is a cropped image. Always shoot in FX mode when using FX lenses and crop in post-
production, if necessary.
REPLY
125) IAN
June 16, 2011 at 2:58 am
Hi Nasim…. came across your site today and you seemed to answer many of the queries
I had. Well presented…. But! had been looking for a second body for my Nikon D300 (DX
obviously) and my wife bought me a D700 body. All my DX lenses are not fully usable as talked
about on your site and above threads. D700 certainly has better ISO across the board. The other
thing I wanted from new body was use for wildlife and landscape but these are opposites in terms
of photo gear needs – unfortunately.
I know I can postcrop the FX image rather than use DX mode, but still I will be removing pixels with
a smaller resolution image so max print size ability will be reduced. On screen a reduced
(cropped)file size at 100% looks little different to 12mb FX view at 100% – but my print quality will not
be equal? Is this right?
Using DX mode on the D700 will give me only 5mb to start with as well, and so likely be the same
print quality.
I have a Sigma 120-400mm f4-5.6 so less reach yes but thinking this may still be the best lens to use
with the D700 as often in need of fast shutter and low light/high ISO need. The Sigma 10-20mm
wide zoom I have is really not good on D700 as have to use DX mode so don’t get the full frame
gain.. so thinking may stick to using it on the D300 in good light.
I have the option to return the D700 body but don’t think will be happy with a D7000 etc
anyway… should I put up with the DX/FX issue and these lenses??
What are the cost and lens options for FX use to cover these – I have been impressed with the
Sigma range as actual Nikons are quite pricey?
Any advice welcome… and again thanks for great discussion
Yours
IAN
REPLY
85) Pedro Albuquerque
December 26, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Hi Nasim,
Just to thank you for the great post, couldn’t be clearer. Thank you.
REPLY
101) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:30 pm
You are most welcome Pedro!
REPLY
86) Stuart Poonawala
January 2, 2011 at 11:52 am
This is a fantastic post, I was confused prior to reading this post, even the specialist Nikon
dealer in London didn’t convince me either way. FX for me now!
REPLY
102) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Stuart, thank you for your feedback!
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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
25/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
91) Waseq
January 6, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Thanks for the article man!
I am planning to go for D7000. What do you think about that? DX sensor with 16.2 megapixels. Do you
think the large number of pixels in the small sensor be problematic? moreover i was confused by the 4
digit naming….previously Nikon’s 4 digit series were all entry levels. So do u think there is a catch here?
REPLY
103) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Waseq, the D7000 is a great DX camera – see my Nikon D7000 Review.
REPLY
92) Scorpionbee
January 12, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Hi Nasim,
Your article is excellent and it helps a lot for someone like me, trying to upgrade from DX to FX. I have a
question, I understand that using DX lens on FX model the image will be cropped by 1.5x. Which means if I
use my 18-200mm DX lens on both D300 and D700, the cropping of the image should be about the same.
How about the noise level? Will D700 do much better job than D300 or since it is cropped, they will be
about the same?
REPLY
104) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:34 pm
Scorpionbee, no, you got it wrong. The crop factor is related to the camera sensor, not the
lens. Therefore, your 18-200mm would be 27-300mm on D300 and 18-200mm on D700. However,
because it is a “DX” lens that is created only for cropped-sensor cameras, it will only work at half the
resolution on the D700.
And yes, FX is always going to be better at handling noise than DX, due to larger pixels.
REPLY
93) Snack
January 20, 2011 at 6:18 pm
No wonder why this article is at the very top rank when I did google search on DX vs FX.
I’ll also check out your other articles as they’re very useful.
Many thanks for sharing the knowledge.
REPLY
105) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:34 pm
You are most welcome Snack!
REPLY
94) Vaibhav
January 25, 2011 at 6:33 am
Awesome !
Got all the info !
REPLY
95) Greg
January 28, 2011 at 11:25 am
Great article! This will help me a great deal in making the jump from the D60, much appreciated!
REPLY
106) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:34 pm
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
26/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
You are most welcome Greg!
REPLY
96) Philip Hymas
January 31, 2011 at 2:10 am
What an excellent explanation. I have been trying to decide whether to by a 55-300 DX lens for
my Nikon D5000 or a 70-300Fx . As I am an optimist and hope one day to be able to afford a D700, I think
I should go for the FX lens in spite of the extra weight and cost. Do you agree ?
Thanks again for your great site
Best
Philip
REPLY
107) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Philip, yes, I agree – the 70-300mm is also a better lens than the 55-300mm DX.
REPLY
98) Nikki
February 10, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Nasim,
Wow, what an incredible informative blog page. Thank you so much for providing great information on
photography. I just sold my D60 a few weeks ago (greatly underrated camera btw). Tomorrow, I will
purchase my very first D700. Words cannot describe my excitement! I was on the internet browsing FX vs.
DX and found your site. Any questions I had as to whether or not I should take the plunge into the FX
world were answered here. I feel confident that I am making the right decision. Again, thanks for lending
your expertise to us photographers.
REPLY
108) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Nikki, congratulations with your purchase and yes, you have made the right decision. The
D700 is a phenomenal camera and you will not be disappointed.
REPLY
99) Al Craig
February 16, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Many thanks for this very helpful overview and comparison shots. I’ve been trying to work out
whether or not to convert back to full frame and you’ve just made the decision for me. Excellent level of
detail – enough to guide a choice, but not too much to read.
REPLY
109) Nasim Mansurov
February 18, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Al, you are most welcome!
REPLY
110) Al Craig
February 22, 2011 at 10:56 am
Ok, so sorted the wait ready for the new Nikon full frame replacement for the D700, and now
for the software. I’m running a Mac Pro at home and Macbook Pro when I get away from work. I’ve been
using Nikon’s Capture NX2 for some time, but find it a little clunky at times. I’ve also got a trial version of
Aperture 3, but keep hearing a lot about Lightroom 3. I always shoot in RAW, and am generally most
interested in creating shots that will be good on screen or printed up to poster size from time to time.
If I go for Lightroom, do I also need the full Adobe CS5?
Any help would be appreciated.
REPLY
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
27/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
112) Kevin
February 24, 2011 at 3:44 pm
Mr, Craig
If I may put some info into this, I also “used” NX2 and did indeed shoot in RAW. Went through all the
PS programs and also have LR 3.3 …… They have trial versions on CS5, I would research them and see
what you want and what may suit your taste. Yes I use my CS5 with LR 3.3 and the results are simply
amazing. But then again we all have different taste and needs that we would like to acomplish.
Be Safe Be Well,
Kevin Atwell
REPLY
111) Aravind
February 24, 2011 at 12:44 pm
Hello Nassim,
Wonderful and much detailed article.. anyone can easily understand. Thank you so much.
My question for you is, I have a D300s with 18-200 VR II lens. I am planning sell my D300s to move to
D700. Should I keep the 18-200 lens or sell it?. If I sell, then which would be the better lens I can go for to
satisfy 18-200 result. I cannot spend too much at this time. Your help on this is really appreciated
Thanks
Aravind
REPLY
113) Kevin
February 24, 2011 at 3:47 pm
They would have to pry my 18-200 mm from my cold dead hands……. Absolutely love this
lense… Just sayin
Cheers
Be Safe Be Well
Kevin
REPLY
114) Al Craig
February 24, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Hi Kevin
Thanks for that. I guess I need to get hold of CS5 to try it out. At the moment I find that NX2 does most of
what I want for straight photos, but lacks the ability to do some of the things that photoshop can do, and
may be more clunky in the process.
Best regards
Al Craig
REPLY
115) Rusty
March 18, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Hey Nasim,
thank you for that article. Reading through it cleared the question – and a lot of other things as well –
perfectly. Best thing is: I did not get bored while reading and even discovered a few things I can now
follow up.
Excellent work!
Rusty
REPLY
116) kiai pancal
March 21, 2011 at 9:48 am
Hi Nasim, i plan to buy d3s but i still haunted by dust in the sensor. I have d700 and the sensor
easy to get dusty. so i like to know after i buy d3s how i should do in order to clean or do the maintenance
by my self.
So far with my d700, i always put in my drawer and now the dust come to the view finder chamber, so i
need to send back to Nikon services.
My questions:
1. how often you clean your sensor
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
28/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
2. how to maintenance d3s from dust in sensor and view finder
3. how to clean it properly and using what ?
Thank you in advance.
br
REPLY
117) Jm
March 31, 2011 at 8:33 am
This was well written, well-elaborated and concise. Thank you for the effort and knowledge
shared.
REPLY
118) Rauphiluba
March 31, 2011 at 4:50 pm
thank for the information about DX and FX difference, even starter like me yet wants to have
the most powerful camera, FX has to be the one, but yes, it depends on your wallets.
thanks any way, God Bless.
REPLY
119) Stela
April 22, 2011 at 1:10 am
Waw… I was surprised especially as you actually apologized for a long post!! No apologies
accepted, because this is a very good article.. I am more on a beginner side and the article really helped me
to understand some basics :) and with that finally as well the difference between fx and dx :)
Thank you for your time! :)
REPLY
120) kiai pancalan maut
April 22, 2011 at 2:25 am
twice i red articles from this site and i end up bough the thingy, first 28-300mm and second
D3s… and i happy with it specially the d3s, now i feel that i want to sell my d700 and upgrade it to
another d3s…
lastly the combination d3s+28-300mm is deadly, now i rarely use my sb700 and only bring sb400 for travel
and use it only in case really emergency…..
Thank you Nasim… !! and good job …
REPLY
121) khalid
May 3, 2011 at 10:46 am
Hi Dear,
Thanks for the information. Actually before i was trying to go for Nikon D7000 Dx. but now i don’t like to
buy any of because i really need a true pictures for my photography, while the FX is extremely expansive
that i can not afford so i will wait for until the low price of FX. but its may new brand comes so that will
take times could you please give me some suggestion. i am totally confuse.
REPLY
122) Pads
May 17, 2011 at 8:37 am
Hello Nasim, this is good stuff! My question is pretty much similar to khalid’s inquiry. If I am to
jump to the FX realm, would you recommend for me to wait for the D700 upgrade (since it’s been out for
almost 3 or 4 years now) or just go ahead and jump the gun with D700+24-70 combo (or any lens for that
matter)? I just wanted to get the value on the camera body I am aiming for especially since the release of
the D7000 was very promising and growing to be the best and most recommended one on the market.
The D3s is a bit of stretch for me to reach especially sine the price of the body alone would cost me like a
D700 combo already.
Do let me know your 2 cents on this – or should I just get the FX lens of my choice and wait for the nex FX
body to be released? Currently using D90 + 17-55mm. Thanks in advance!
REPLY
123) Rob
May 20, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Nice post and plenty of explanatory details. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and
experience.
REPLY
124) Logan
May 21, 2011 at 7:21 am
Hi Nasim,
I am new to DSLR world. I had zillions of question in my mind to decide a good entry level camera to buy,
but info given in this site cleared most of them. This DX vs FX is really awesome, very simple & easy for a
novice to understand the jargons. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.
Regards,
Logesh
REPLY
126) IAN
June 19, 2011 at 2:33 am
Hi Nasim…. came across your site today and you seemed to answer many of the queries I had.
Well presented…. But! had been looking for a second body for my Nikon D300 (DX obviously) and my
wife bought me a D700 body. All my DX lenses are not fully usable as talked about on your site and above
threads. D700 certainly has better ISO across the board. The other thing I wanted from new body was use
for wildlife and landscape but these are opposites in terms of photo gear needs – unfortunately.
I know I can postcrop the FX image rather than use DX mode, but still I will be removing pixels with a
smaller resolution image so max print size ability will be reduced. On screen a reduced (cropped)file size at
100% looks little different to 12mb FX view at 100% – but my print quality will not be equal? Is this right?
Using DX mode on the D700 will give me only 5mb to start with as well, and so likely be the same print
quality.
I have a Sigma 120-400mm f4-5.6 so less reach yes but thinking this may still be the best lens to use with
the D700 as often in need of fast shutter and low light/high ISO need. The Sigma 10-20mm wide zoom I
have is really not good on D700 as have to use DX mode so don’t get the full frame gain.. so thinking may
stick to using it on the D300 in good light.
I have the option to return the D700 body but don’t think will be happy with a D7000 etc anyway…
should I put up with the DX/FX issue and these lenses??
What are the cost and lens options for FX use to cover these – I have been impressed with the Sigma
range as actual Nikons are quite pricey?
Any advice welcome… and again thanks for great discussion
Yours
IAN
REPLY
127) SRUTAYU
June 25, 2011 at 9:59 pm
thankz a lot for ur guiding !!!
REPLY
128) Aaron Lucas
July 16, 2011 at 9:50 pm
Hello
I am planning to purchase a Nikon DX camera preferably D7000 or D5100, but I would be switching to FX
camera in the future. So, I would like to know if I should purchase DX lenses for a DX camera or can I use
FX lenses on a DX body without any limitation or problem? Plz help.
REPLY
129) Raul Rojas
July 31, 2011 at 7:18 am
Thanks for this great post! However… looks like you forgot to put time in the equation. I
would add that DX is lighter and can take exactly the same quality photos in about twice the time. For
landscapes, daylight moving objects, unless you need a real high speed shot. they are better. I
understand that you as a professional of photography are trying to justify the need of such a big sensor,
but, to be honest, most of the people want to buy a camera they can afford, with excelent quality and
don’t take pictures of 1/8000 shooting speed. For all of us, wellcome DX!!. Regards,
REPLY
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
30/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
130) Milinda
August 1, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Thank you very much for the sharing of your valuable knowledge and experience. It is a great
post which explains everything in detail. Thanks again!!
REPLY
131) Paul
August 3, 2011 at 1:07 pm
I Just want to extend my great appreciation for your work on your Web site. I learned much
from this and other articles here. Thanks again!
REPLY
132) Michael Hubbard
August 7, 2011 at 8:12 am
Very informative; i have a much clearer understanding of the diferences between FX and DX
formats. Based on this information I think I will purchase FX capable lens for my D300 because i think my
next camera will be a D700. Thanks for all of the good information and the way it was presented.
REPLY
133) Nasim Mansurov
August 7, 2011 at 12:42 pm
You are most welcome, thank you for your feedback!
REPLY
134) yusuf
August 8, 2011 at 9:38 pm
thank u so much… It was really really informative, I could not find a better explanation on this
topic.
thanks once again.
REPLY
135) sherrybythesea
August 10, 2011 at 7:21 pm
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I recently received the Nikon D700 FX as a gift
from my husband and am having a hard time selecting the right lens (es). I really want a general all around
lens I can use for shooting photos of my family, and I also need a lens for work, which is shooting interior
and exterior photos of houses. Everyone keeps recommending DX lenses to me, telling me that there is
really no difference in the lens for FX. Can you recommend which lens (es) you would use for what I’m
doing?
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136) chris hine
August 13, 2011 at 1:17 pm
Having a D300s and D90 I was wondering what all the fuss was about FX, I now know and
thanks to the fact that I have non DX lenses woll be pursuing a D3 with passion to get more from my
photography hobby, thank you so much.
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137) Glenn Franco Simmons
August 16, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Thank you for such a thorough analysis. I am considering an FX, and your article made me
realize that my first inclination, a D3X, is my choice. After reading another site, I was starting to think a
D3S would be better, but my passion is flower macros.
I have a D500 and a Nikon film camera, N60, and I like the fact that FX will more closely approximate what I
could do with my N60 for my specific uses, which include many macros.
Plus, I have my D5000 to shoot in situations that are more appropriate for it, but I contemplate using the
FX for all shots.
When looking at the Nikon site, I did notice a variety of FX cameras with different specs.
You have done an outstanding job here, and I really appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into this.
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
31/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
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138) Martin
August 18, 2011 at 1:09 am
Thanks Heaps Nasim – I didn’t realise te difference in noise between the two. I thought I was
tossing up between Nikon d7000 and a Canon D7, but it seems I should be tossing up between DX and
FX.
Or should I? I used to shoot overexposed images on ISO 1600 on 35mm for the washed our and grainy
effect. And also, do I really need to shoot at 6400, if I never could before on film? Or does this open up a
whole new world of low light photography for me?
The more I lern the harder it all becomes; awesome :-)
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139) Bill
August 24, 2011 at 6:09 am
Thanks, Nasim, for your very concise and clear explanations of the differences between DX and
FX cameras. Until today, I didn’t really have a clue, but I am really noticing the limitations of my D90,
especially in low light. By the time I can save to replace my DX with an FX, they will probably be on
generation 3+, which works for me. In the meantime, I will be buying FX compatible lenses, which as you
so ably pointed out, are not the same as DX lenses which I probably would have bought as my skills
progress. With that said, I am very impressed that you could say so efficiently through words and
examples what the other “professional” websites seem to be unable to do… that is to simplify and
explain in a comprehensible way the differences in sensor formats, picture outcomes and lens
compatibility implications to a newly emerging amateur enthusiast.
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144) Nasim Mansurov
August 24, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Bill, thank you for your feedback! I am glad that you found the article useful and easy to
understand – that’s certainly my goal. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
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140) Tony (NZ)
August 24, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Nasim, many thanks for the information you impart. Your approach to photography is
absolutley fantastic, surpassed only by your willingness to impart your knowledge and skills in a format
that is concise and understandable. As a Nikon user for many years, I struggle with the new technology
but find that reading your posts helps immensley and usually puts things in perspective.
I wish there was someway I could return the favour you do the whole photographic community, but in
the meantime my ‘thanks’ will have to suffice. Let us know should you ever consider a visit to New
Zealand.
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143) Nasim Mansurov
August 24, 2011 at 9:18 pm
Thank you for your feedback Tony, I really appreciate it! It is my dream to visit and
photograph New Zealand someday!
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141) Ted Hawkes
August 24, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Excellent post. I’m in the market and totally sold on FX (and almost sold on the D3s vs. the
D700). I dabble in video as well, and manufacturers are starting to roll out camcorders with
interchangeable lenses (finally!). It looks like I can get double the value from FX glass. Got anything on
D3s vs. D3x?
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142) Nasim Mansurov
August 24, 2011 at 9:16 pm
Ted, D3x is for landscape and fashion photographers that need the high resolution for
large prints. If you need a camera with the best low light capabilities, there is nothing out there that
even remotely compares to the D3s.
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
32/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
And by the way, B&H has the Nikon D3s in stock right now, which does not happen very often.
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145) Ted Hawkes
August 25, 2011 at 7:13 am
I actually found the article where you discuss this in detail right after I asked the question. Very
well done, totally get it now. I’m leaning toward the D700 for my next step up, thinking that for the price
point on the D3s I would want better resolution (not that I quite need 24 megapixels…), for which I’m
obviously going to have to wait. I don’t suppose any of y’all who’ve been following Nikon for decades
have a strong opinion on whether D700′s successor is being announced in the next few weeks? B&H and
other retailers are conspicuously out of stock. Judging by the recent evolution of DX models, it might
include a resolution bump worth waiting for.
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146) Ted Hawkes
August 25, 2011 at 7:17 am
Well, whaddyaknow? I just found your post from 8/20 and I guess I’m not the first one to
wonder about the D700′s successor…
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147) Nasim Mansurov
August 25, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Ted, I would wait till the end of September for a potential announcement. Yes, it will be
worth the wait.
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148) Newton
August 26, 2011 at 2:42 am
Thanks for sharing your knowledge on FX and DX, nice article.
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149) Nasim Mansurov
August 26, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Glad you found it useful Newton!
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150) Charles
August 26, 2011 at 11:40 am
Nasim , Thank you for the time spent in explaining the differences b2in the DX and FX Nikon
Sensors.
For me the most important thing to have in mind is lens diffraction limitation of the DX factor.
And while the DX megapixel count goes up , diffraction will limitation will be more of a problem.
I Was using An F4 and I am waiting to use my 35-70 AFD f:2.8 , 80-200 AFD f:2.8 along with my fast primes
on the new D800 (?).
How do you think these pro caliber lenses would perform with the latest FX nikon Sensor ? Should
someone consider changing to the new pro zooms and primes ?
Charles
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151) JOGINDER
August 31, 2011 at 7:34 am
Nasim,
this is one of the best site to learn A-Z about photography… I am from India, keep on posting informative
topics related to photography…
Joginder
INDIA
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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
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152) Logan
September 6, 2011 at 6:01 am
Once again, a nice article. I just recently understood discussions about the difference between
canon and nikon product lines (pixel and sensor size;wherein canon aims to have high pixels compared to
nikon’s focus on larger sensors.) and reading your article about DX and FX gives me a clearer picture of
the difference between full-frame and cropped sensors.(although is have a canon. ☺☺)
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153) PJ
September 7, 2011 at 1:37 pm
I admit I’m a skimmer. The short answer though is if you buy a DX camera there is no point in
buying an FX lens, correct?
And no the article is not too long. I appreciated the thoroughness.
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154) Vijayakumar
September 9, 2011 at 6:50 am
Nasim :
Thank you very much for the lucid explanation of DX and FX formats. I have one doubt. In case two
different lenses are available , say 24-70mm DX and 24-70mm for DX and FX cameras respectively, will their
actual focal length be different ? And if I use these lenses on DX and FX cameras respectively, will there be
a crop factor ? I mean will I get the same picture from both the cameras ? Does this crop factor appear only
when I use a FX lens on a DX camera.
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155) daniel
September 10, 2011 at 8:52 pm
tks Nasim, very informative and extremely helpful for me.
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156) Kike
September 13, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Hi Nasim,
Thanks for this excellent post. Your are really good and I appreciate you spend your time sharing this kind
of articles with all of us.
I was wondering why Nikon doesn’t put larger pixels (for better sensitive performance) instead of
increase the number of pixels on DX entry-level cameras.
I have a D5100 and I would prefer to have less noise at high ISOs with a 12mp/14mp sensor than a 16mp
sensor. Actually, I think 12mp is enough for non profesional shooting. Isn it?
What do you thing?
Thanks!!
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157) Priyesh Singh
September 18, 2011 at 10:07 pm
Hi Nasim,
I have been reading your website and the material and advice available is really awesome.
Need one advice from you. I have sold my Nikon D90 in june this year and have to buy a camera in
December from India. I live in Tanzania and we don’t get good deals here that’s why am buying from India
when I will travel there.
I am thinking to upgrade to FF after using my friend’s D3 for sometime. Love the bright viewfinder. If
budget would have permitted would have gone strt for D3S. I was zeroing on D700 with 24-120F4 lens.
Now is it still a good buy to have it in December as I wanted to wait for any replacement model coming in
market before that. Also I like to take some wildlife photos as well (Tanzania is famous for its parks,
serengeti etc are here itself). I have a Sigma 50-500 OS lens but I take more of normal day to day shots like
at beaches etc.
So looking at my usage, what would you advice, should I still remain with DX and go for a D7000
(although I don’t really like it due to buffer size and 3 shots braketing only) or go for D700.
Please advice.
Thanks and following you.
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158) Rosy
September 27, 2011 at 9:22 am
should i get the d700 now or wait for the d800. i have a nikon d80 and would love to upgrade.
i have a ‘starting’ photography business and i concentrate on portraits/family picutres/newborns, etc. I’ve
been asked to do family shoots at a daycare – they will be outdoor. I think i can get by with my Nikon D80
and my Tamron 17-50mm 2.8lens for this occasion –
but it’s a debate i have. this shoot can generate many future referrals. Would i get better results with the
d700
i truly am not waiting fo rthe latest and greatest – but everyone states i should wait for the d800, please
be honest with your responses
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159) ALICIA RIUS
September 29, 2011 at 7:02 am
Thank you so much for this article.
I’ve been doing a lot of research and at last, I found the most useful post. Your explanation was really
clear, specially for me which I had no idea about DX vs FX.
I appreciate when I find people that invest their time to clarifying such complex topics.
REPLY
160) B J Roy
October 6, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Extremely helpful. Thanks for all the detail. You have help me make up my mind – I was leaning
toward the FX because of Dynamic Range issues with what i photograph most. Not leaning any longer —
taking the jump. :) Again thanks.
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161) Jaouad
October 19, 2011 at 6:29 pm
I hesitated to buy a FX lens for a DX camera! but I’ll buy it quietly)
Thank you very much
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162) Callum
October 31, 2011 at 7:20 am
Hi Nasim,
Sorry for yet another query for you – I seem to have a lot for you at the moment!
I was wondering if the D7000 has changed your opinions at all in the DX vs FX debate in terms of low light
ability?
I still can’t decide what best suits my current needs – I prefer the lighter weight of the DX bodies and I
have 3 lenses I am happy with for use on DX, but at the same time I got to look at a D700 with 24-70mm
f2.8 at the weekend and the weight didn’t bother me too much (but that was just playing around with it
in the shop and not having to carry it all day!).
I’ve seen on another website a slightly tongue in cheek comment that the abilities of the D7000 now make
it less sense to buy the D700 for most people (by that I assume they mean amateur/hobbyist
photographers) for the price difference.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Callum
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163) Callum
October 31, 2011 at 11:35 am
Just another thought – are lenses like the 24-120mm f4 good enough to make the most of
FX cameras or do you really need to go to the pro lenses?
Thanks.
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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
35/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
164) Gandalfsson
October 31, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Hi Nasim
I agree with you in the iso-department = fx vs. dx (nobody can not agree with you, I think, in this matter).
I have the D700 and the D7000 and the D700 is the clear winner in this area.
But you are not 100 % right in the dynamic range department – the D7000dx has better DR than even the
mighty D3x (even minor difference) !!! (I also have the D3x, just bought it)
But who would have expected that, I must say ?
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166) Vinny
November 3, 2011 at 7:16 am
Hi Nasim,
I upgraded my equipment this year with the plan to purchase both a DX and FX Nikon body. I have both
DX and FX lenses. I opted for the D7000 over the D3oo as my DX purchase mainly due to the reviews and
the fact my wife had the option to simply use the auto button so she could actually use the camera. I
planned to move forward with the purchase of of a D700 this month, but now I am pausing. Should I wait
until I have the cash for a D3s? I have been super impressed by the D7000 so I no longer feel the hurry to
get an FX body. Is the D3s that much superior to the D700? I am willing to wait if the difference is there. I
am not a pro but would consider myself an advanced amatuer.
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167) Titus Powell
November 11, 2011 at 10:43 am
Fantastic article; thank you for taking the time to explain so clearly and in so much detail.
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168) mobeme
November 20, 2011 at 8:34 am
Hi Nasim
Thank you for this great article. I’m confused about one thing though. As I understand, DX implies a 1.5
multiplier to get the 35mm equivalent focal length. Does DX format also have a bearing on the minimum
aperture if using FX lenses? Reason I say this is because in this article http://www.photozone.de/nikon–
nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/626-nikkorafd8518dx , a AF-D 85mm f/1.8 lens is said to be “equivalent of roughly a
130mm f/2.8 lens” i.e. the minimum aperture is multiplied by 1.5 too, effectively making the lens slower (?).
Many thanks in advance. G.
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169) endri
November 24, 2011 at 8:38 am
I got a d 7000 and want to bye a fix lens! Can you anybodu explain me the difference between
35mm&50mm?!
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170) Yayan Eterang
November 24, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Hi Nasim,
I’m from Batam, Indonesia. Just wanna say I love your articles.
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171) Danny Sanders
November 28, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Outstanding! Just the info I was look looking for.
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172) Valentin Butko
November 30, 2011 at 1:44 am
Добрый день, Насим. Может посоветуете, я стою перед выбором: в наличии D300s + 24-70
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
36/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
ф/2.8, хочу перейти на FX формат, как вы считаете на что лучше потратится: D700 + 70-200 ф/2.8 или
D3s ? Снимаю в основном репортаж (свадьбы и прочее).
REPLY
173) Eric
December 2, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Thanks very much. A very informative comparison study which shed a lot of light (no pun
intended) on the subject for me.
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174) mohammad sharifi-rad
December 14, 2011 at 1:51 am
Dear Master
Enjoyed reading your website and was really helpful.
Thanks a lot
mohammad sharifi-rad
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175) sung
December 17, 2011 at 11:23 pm
thank you for your great article. I was confused before, now i can actullay
describe it to my peers.
thank you again and i hope you keep writing article as helpful as this!
REPLY
176) Keith Doe
December 22, 2011 at 12:52 am
This was a great little article and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! Very insightful and, as i’m
reading this over my cereal I’m feeling as though i’ve learnt something already today!
Just purchased myself the Nikon D300S and a few accessories (battery grip, 16-85 vr lens) and i’m
seriously looking forward to getting out and having a proper shoot with it! Hurry up christmas holidays!
Many thanks.
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177) Kirk
December 24, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Utterly fantastic article. I have now got an education in sensor formats and what they mean to
me. So well explained that all of my questions on the topic have been answered thoroughly. I appreciate
the effort you’ve put in to write this article, as well as the fact that you have made it search engine
friendly so it is easy to find when searching “DX vs FX” on Google. Great work!
I shoot mostly indoor hockey games and the ISO noise on my D5000 is significant and annoying. Great
camera for shooting outdoors in good light and portraits, but not so great for fast moving, dim light
situations.
Now I need to save up more cash for an FX body. Better yet, I now know why they’re worth so much
more money. I’m telling my wife that it’s your fault. She’ll likely be in touch. haha
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178) mikgadhoke
January 8, 2012 at 9:18 am
Excellent review and put so nicely in words.
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179) Wilson
January 9, 2012 at 7:41 pm
Your “Benefits of a High Resolution Sensor” article led me here. Just try to get down to the
basics to thoroughly understand pixels, sensors…
Definitely achieved the goals with this excellent article. Thank you for the clear explanation to make things
easier to all the readers!
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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
37/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
180) LarryDC
January 16, 2012 at 11:42 am
This was a very Excellent posting. It addressed just questions I had about DX & FX. I am an old
film photogher moving to DSLRs, this posting has helped me to select my next camera.
Thanks
Larry
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181) Lynette Hagel
January 19, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Thanks so much for this information. You write in a way that makes it clear for everyone to
understand. Looking forward to reading your old posts as well as new ones.
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182) a au
January 22, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Thanks so much for this information and I get more understanding on the camera.Can I ask
you. If I want to get a new camera, is D700 better or D7000 best.
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183) Mike Butler
January 23, 2012 at 12:06 am
Found this article through Google and want to thank you for the best explanation of DX and
FX I have seen! I own a Nikon D200 and a Nikon D300 and am thinking of buying a new D800 when it
FINALLY appears. Of course, I have a bagful of lenses I have used on the 200 and 300 and don’t want to
spend another fortune — the cost of the new D800 will be enough! It seems that for most of the
photography I do, my current lenses will suffice until I win the lottery. Thank you!
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184) Prabhu
January 28, 2012 at 1:26 am
Hi Nasim
I am a new introducer. i read your article of DX and FX was excellent.
Thank you,
Prabhu.
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185) gwenhael appere
January 30, 2012 at 10:40 am
thank you very much for this article, it answered a lot of my questions…forums can be useful,
but also very confusing sometimes ! Thumbs up also for your website, lots of useful information, and
great pictures.
Still, i would like to ask you a clarification :
- you mentioned that Nikon FF bodies can automatically detect a DX lens, and therefore automatically
“switch”to DX mode…As an example, my 16-85 used on a D700 in DX mode would give me the same
image as on a D300s, but with a lower resolution…correct ? But can I use the D700 with an FF lens (let’s
say, 24-70) in a “DX mode” (is there such an option) ? Other than the field of view, would anything else
change ?
Thanks for your comments !
Gwen
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186) Allen Adnan
February 5, 2012 at 3:46 pm
first of all, I want to thank you for explaining the Points between the DX and FX .. I really
Appreciate that… going back to my Question ,, which is ;- i’m confused between D90 And D7000 ,, and I
know that The D7000 is much better than D90,, but still want some tips anything you can give i will
appreciate it .. and what lenses you recommend me to purchase? and do you recommend me to purchaase
only the body and get a e.g 18-200 mm lens instead.. and what do you think about 50 mm f/1.4 lens …. I
will be grateful if you could help me >>>
have a nice day sir :)
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
38/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
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187) kevin sweeney
February 5, 2012 at 5:26 pm
i enjoyed your article and found it to be very informative and well written it helped me
understand
dx vs fx
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188) Ian
February 7, 2012 at 8:45 am
Fantasic article, thank you – the blinds have been lifted! I have been waiting to see what the
new Nikon FX camera specs would be as I have long been disappointed by the noise that I get from my
DX. With 36mps, will the D800 be any better at coping with noise in low light than a D300?
REPLY
189) Krishna
February 7, 2012 at 9:49 am
Really nice explanation with better example.
pictures with very low light would be more useful.
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190) Tim Maguire
February 9, 2012 at 9:00 am
This is a very informative post. I had one question, when they refer the the FX I believe they
also call it “medium format”. If this is correct what would the DX be and what is “full format”.
Also, thank you for the ISO comparison. I was worried this was a problem with FX too, but it does not
seem to be the case. I really need an FX format camera now.
Thanks again!!
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191) Ray Schneider
February 9, 2012 at 8:09 pm
This string of comments is fabulous! Thanks all. As I take a lot of my photos while traveling
overseas, I tend to carry just an Nikon 18-200 VR lens with my D200. And I post-process most of my good
shots including sharpening etc.
So my question is, will a photo taken with the 18-200 that is sharpened etc, in post-processing look
comparable to a photo taken with a higher quality lens like the Nikon 24-70 that is also post-processed? Or
will the better lens always produce images that are better, all things being equal.
PS: I’m anticipating going FF to either the D700 or D800 – I would still anticipate using a lens like the
Nikon 28-300 VRII because I travel so much – any advice?
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192) aVi
February 11, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Very informative. Thank You. What lens would be most suited to the nikon d7000 for low light
conditions i.e. indoor and night photography? Please advise.
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193) Adil
February 14, 2012 at 6:17 am
Dear Nasim
I have been following your website for a few days now and I have learnt so much from your articles. I am
very grateful to you and appreciate the clarity in terms of the language you use.
I have one question for you today.
Do the FX format Nikons come with VR/IS on the body?
Adil
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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
39/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
194) CJ
February 25, 2012 at 12:01 am
Hi Nasim,
I’ve been looking for this answer for a long time. In just one shot you’ve enlightened my mind. Thanks a
lot. I’m a beginner of this as I called profession. You’re helping a lot of people, and manufacturers as well.
More power to you. . .
God bless!
CJ
REPLY
195) Martin
March 1, 2012 at 5:14 am
Hi Nasim,
Fantastic article, thank you.
I am going to upgrade my Nikon D3100 to either the D700 or D800 (when it arrives) but which should I go
for. My hobby is shooting landscapes and I feel I will get a better image with a full frame camera, also as
this is just an hobby which if any wide angle lens would you advise. The Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 costs around
£1300 but is there a slighly cheaper Sigma, Tamaron etc that you think would be suitable for my needs.
Thanks
Martin
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196) Venu
March 5, 2012 at 8:42 am
Hi Nasim,
By google search for DX vs Fx I landed on this page. Your blog about DX vs FX explained it all in a great
detail. And I was convenced that you are the right person to ask about my upgrade qustion. Background :
This is what I have now : Nikon D80, Nikon 18 – 200 VR ( unfortunately its a DX lense not FX) , Nikon 50
mm 1.8 ( FX) , Tamron 90 mm f2.8 Macro ( FX lense) , Nikon SB – 400, And a Potrait Studio setup in my
basement. I am an amature photographer. Nowhere close to a professional. Its my desire to improve my
photography skills to a Pro Level. But currently my foucs has been ‘Potraits of my Kids’. Now the actual
question : I have been owning a Nikon D80 since 2007, and I am very pleased with it. I am feelign a little
short handed with 10 mega pixel resolution on D80, to be able to take BIG prints without loosing quality.
D7000 (16 MPix) looks tempting. Also I read in your blog that D700 is the worlds best DSLR . D700 is still 12
mega pixel. What would you suggest me to upgrade to from D80? to D7000 or D700. I know they are DX
and FX . My primary goal is to have best over all DSLR ( DX or FX) since I can use all the lenses ( except 18 –
200 with DX crop) and be able to take BIG prints . Also aware from reading your blog that more mega
pixels in a small sensor would introduce noise at low light conditions. Please suggest me the best for my
needs. The usage is for personal and family but I would like to have a capable camera so I can learn to
become professional with it. Your suggestion is very valuable to me.
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197) edwin
March 12, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Hi Nasim
Thank you for your very informative website.
I have a Nikon D90 and have a (far) future plan to invest in an FX camera. I also want to do Macro
photography. I am wondering if I should buy a DX macro lense now because it is cheaper or buy an FX
macro lense with the thinking that I might buy an FX camera in the future. I am thinking of the 85mm
macro lense.
Thank you.
Edwin
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198) Paolo
March 13, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Hi Nasim,
Awesome article. Exactly the explanation I was looking for. I had my D300 stolen and was thinking of
replacing it with the D700 or the D3s. But now there is the D800 and the D4 coming out in about a week,
and am not sure which way to go. Any thoughts?
Thanks, Paolo
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
40/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
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199) Stephan
March 14, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Hello Nasim,
Great writeup… thank you much.
Regarding DX lenses, which are especially made for Nikon bodies having the smaller sensors, does it mean
on a camera body with the smaller sensor a DX lens will compensate for the crop factor and capture an
image at the stated focal length? Or will a 50mm DX lens on a, say D7000 (DX Model), still equate to a
75mm lens when compared to a film camera?
If you covered this before and I missed it, I apologize, but I couldn’t find the answer here.
Thanks,
Stephan
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201) Rattiporn
March 26, 2012 at 10:11 pm
Thank you very much. Your article is very informative. I am now have a clear understanding
between DX and FX lenses.
Cheers, =)
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202) Bishwa
April 1, 2012 at 9:06 pm
Hi Nasim,
Thanks so much for putting this info up for beginners like me. I really appreciate how clearly you
explained the issue, which was confusing me for a long time.
Best wishes,
Bishwa
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203) Manoj B.
April 1, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Well explained… thanks a lot…
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204) Bhaskar Ray
April 9, 2012 at 5:14 am
Hi Nasim,
Good evening. I am using D90(Dx format) with 18-105mm kit lens. Kindly advice me what sort of zoom
shall I use for my wild life photography with D90 ? will 70-300 mm do the needful? I believe it is a Fx lens.
Also advice me shall I buy Fx lens if I need to upgrade to D 800 because then Dx lens will be useless in D
800 or any Fx body. I am an ameteur photographer.
regards
Bhaskar
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205) akhil
April 11, 2012 at 2:33 am
hi your comments and ur presentation is simply amazing. the thing is im actually new into this
and know very little about all the convo’s taken place up could u suggest me any camera which would
suite me. i am looking into D90 and the price factor suits me. i just want to know if Sony a35 is worth
buying aswell.
thank you
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206) Siva Prasanna
April 14, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Wow… what an explanation! Thank you!
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
41/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
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207) Martin Shellabarger
April 19, 2012 at 10:30 am
I am looking for a camera for stop motion animation, and have it on good authority that the FX
sensors will cause a greatly reduced DOF in a stopmo environment, and DX will have a greater DOF. Since
shooting will be on a tripod under studio conditions where I can have longer exposure times, the image
noise problem at higher ISOs is not going to be a problem. What are the differences in the DOF between
FX and DX model lines?
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208) Velayudhan KK
April 20, 2012 at 6:27 am
Hi Nasim,
I appreciate the way you have explained the differences, pros and cons. It really helps any amateur
photographer. This has helped me in deciding what gears I have to select fo rmy use.
Thanks!
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209) Thepics Itook
April 22, 2012 at 8:28 pm
Great Information. I learn a lot reading your post.
Thanks.
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210) Yudi
April 22, 2012 at 9:15 pm
It really did!!:-) Thanks a Lot! Great Info!
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211) mjohn
April 24, 2012 at 1:54 am
Excellent… Got completely cleared on the doubts of DX and FX formats.
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212) Elizabeth
April 25, 2012 at 8:59 am
Outstanding, clear and precise explanation. This has helped me tremendously in deciding
which camera to buy for my needs. Thank you!
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213) CJ
April 25, 2012 at 10:14 am
Hello,
Thanks for such informative atricle. Just a quick question, I am planning to buy Nikon D5100 over Canon
600D. One of my friend pointed out that we cannot use FX lenses with D5100 but we can use all lense
range in Canon. Is it true?
Thanks
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214) musti
April 26, 2012 at 5:56 am
hi nasim
i ve a very important question; u mentioned above that :
“Large dynamic range – again, bigger pixel size allows collecting more light particles, which results in
larger dynamic range when compared to DX.”
well here is my question; after expeed 3 processor on d3200 u still think same? I can imagine probably u
dont have chance to have it yet its released but not in the stores till may but whats your opinion about
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
42/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
this?
thanx a lot and i love your work :)
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215) AMITAVA MAITI
May 1, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Dear NASIM,
This is the first time i am going to buy a DSLR camera , after lot of query i decided to buy NIKION D5100,
my question is is it a FX camera or should i fix FX lence on it….
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216) Adil
May 2, 2012 at 12:08 am
Dear Amithava,
D5100 is a DX format camera. You can use both DX and FX format lenses on D5100. FX lenses are
costlier compared to DX lenses, but have its advantages. The biggest advantage is that your
investment does not go waste if you decide to upgrade to a FX (D700, D800, …) format camera in the
future.
Adil
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217) AMITAVA MAITI
May 5, 2012 at 8:10 am
Dear Adil,
Thax a lot for your valuable information.
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218) AMITAVA MAITI
May 5, 2012 at 8:17 am
Dear Nasim,
Can u tell me when we can expect NIKION D3200 in india ?, now i am lit bit of confuse which one i should
go…..NIKON D3200 or NIKION D5100. As per the price point is concerned D3200 is Rs.5k less than D5100
and the technical specification is concerned i think D3200 will be lit bit ahead so please suggest me which
one i will buy..
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219) noush
May 20, 2012 at 2:29 am
Dear Nasim,
I’m very grateful for coming across your post, and your site. Really helps with my learning about DSLRs.
This really takes ‘what to buy’ on to a new level. It’s hard enough when deciding between a Nikon or
Canon!
I used Nikon SLR through art and design college (20 years ago) so I possibly have a slight favor towards
Nikons but not through any knowledge, and it feels like the Digital SLRs bring more choice, flexibility yet
more confusion. I’m a total novice in this area.
A couple of years ago I wanted to get back in to using an SLR as my instamatic Canon broke, so bought a
Nikon D5000 with a kit lens (18-55mm) as a starting point. Partly due to budget and also that it feels
compact in size. Although some of the time the quality of the pictures are decent, I find the auto-focus
really slow, and it really struggles in low light. So now I want to buy the Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4G. But this
lens sounds better suited to FX bodies, and before I go ahead and start to collect lenses do you think it’s
worth considering getting a second hand D7000 (or another more advanced FX body) from amazon? Or if
I am starting to get the kit all again, would you know if getting the equivalent in quality with a Canon
would be a better for lower budgets?
I get so many mixed views from professional photographers, most of whom favor Canons over Nikons,
but it’s not clear why. Some of them are fashion photographers.
Essentially I would like to (over time) get additional lenses to be able to make the most of photographing
portraits (natural, not studio based), landscapes, architecture, occasional wildlife, and of friend’s/family’s
children, so some sports action. Indoor and low light also required. I live in the UK so low light is an issue,
but I do travel to sunny climes. Can one camera body and multiple lenses manage all this?
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220) Ron
May 27, 2012 at 8:57 am
Thank you for a fantastic explanation of the dx vs. fx formats. For me it becomes a matter of
economics.
With so much invested in dx it would be hard to go to fx for better lighting and frame size when you could
try to reframe your shot or work on the lighting of the shot with a dx. I love that d700 though and it still
may not be out of the question. Again, thanks for the time spent on a well written article.
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221) Stu
May 28, 2012 at 8:16 am
Hi Nasim
Great info. MY dad was a pro but never saw the digital revolution. For similar quality and sharpness do
you suggest not using more than f11 in the DX format?
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222) Jiss
May 29, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Wonderfull article. A very usefull one
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223) Mike Butler
May 29, 2012 at 11:37 pm
I agree with Jiss (above). I currently own a D300 and have loved it to death for the last 4 years.
My previous D200 still lives in my office safe as my spare (but the D300 is so reliable, the D200 has never
been needed).
I have toyed with making my next Nikon a full frame, and this article has answered quite a number of
questions for me. Once I convince my dear wife that a D4 in an indispensable addition to my photographic
armoury, (and the money that was to be spent on our next holiday can be diverted to such a noble cause)
I will be in there with both feet!
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224) skelertor
June 1, 2012 at 2:38 am
very informative. Now I understand better.
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225) Ashwin Kumar
June 1, 2012 at 7:20 am
Great Article… very informative… thanks a lot!
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226) Mark
June 4, 2012 at 8:57 am
Thank you, this is very helpful. I’m currently using a Nikon D50 and want to upgrade (maybe to
the D700 or D7000). I shoot mostly gardens and landscape and I publish in magazines. Would you say I’d
be happier the with D700?
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227) Tarun Vaish
June 9, 2012 at 9:08 am
Beautifully explained. Made the concept crystal clear, specially by mentioning the advantages
and the disadvantages. Length doesn’t matter if the content is good! :)
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228) Gonzalo
June 12, 2012 at 5:31 am
Do not want to sound cocky but I think this is a VERY important question: What do you think
of the new Nikon D800 with its FX sensor but incredible pixel count? Does it bring the same noise and
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
44/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
detail problem of a DX sensor? Seems to me that unless they have some improved technology in place
cramming up more pixels in any sensor (including full frame FX) will produce noise even starting at ISO
400 or so. Would very much appreciate your opinion. I never tried a D800.
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229) Mike
June 28, 2012 at 5:03 am
The best explanation and reason for upgrading I have read, really good Nasim, my D300s could
be my backup camera if the D600 shapes up, of course we will all wait untill Nasim runs his rule over it
first, hopefully not to long to wait.
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230) Nnenna
July 4, 2012 at 12:31 am
Thanks so much, very nice learned a lot. Nice breakdown
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231) Tiki Leff
July 5, 2012 at 12:44 am
This article is extremely helpful. I am a professional photographer myself and I knew the
differences but the depth you went into is phenomenal. Thank you very much.
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232) alena
July 11, 2012 at 10:56 am
Thank you very much for explication Nasim.
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233) Mithun chakraborty
August 2, 2012 at 11:17 pm
Hi Nasim,
Really a great post. I am now much clear about the difference between Fx & Dx. Thanks again for this
post.
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234) Manuel Álvaro
August 4, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Thanks great post, :)
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235) Colin Murphy
August 7, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Thank you for the thorough explanations! Great info.
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236) Eduardo Almeida
August 13, 2012 at 6:53 am
Finnly some one explained it in a proper human being language the differences betwen FX and
DX, thank you very much for this.
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237) Piyush Bhatt
August 18, 2012 at 5:45 am
Thanks for the information. You have talked about FX lens on DX body.
How about DX lens on FX body does it go well equally. eg Nikon D800 body with 18-300 mm NiKon DX
lens. Is there any major disadvantage compared to 28-300 mm Nikon FX lens.
REPLY
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
45/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
238) J Clark
August 31, 2012 at 1:03 am
Great post. Very detailed and explains everything very concisely. Thank you for putting in the
time.
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239) K Zaragoza
September 3, 2012 at 6:57 pm
This was a very helpful post. Thank you for detailing everything for us. More power to you.
REPLY
240) Jay
September 6, 2012 at 9:32 am
Thank you for the information. Very helpful.
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241) naveen
September 14, 2012 at 4:30 am
Very informative. The picture comparison really helped understanding the difference. Thank
you !
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242) Tomas Wahrmann
September 21, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Excellent article and very clear and useful explanation.
Thank you!
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243) Amit Pahuja
September 22, 2012 at 11:02 am
Great post. Really helped me in taking a decision for Fx Vs Dx format camera.
REPLY
244) Ata
September 23, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Dear Nasim,
Thank you so much for your very useful article.
This one was the best as the others.
I think that your origin is back to Azerbaijan, if yes, I’m from Tabriz/IRAN and i will be glad if i can speak to
you in Azeri.
With best Regards.
Ata.
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245) Robert
September 25, 2012 at 2:58 am
Great article thanks.
This helps me understand the differences and maybe guide me on my 1st DSLR.
My 1st thought was the Nikon D7000 but may consider the D600 now!
Cheers
REPLY
246) Dina
September 27, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Thanks for the great article
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
46/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
REPLY
247) sandeep Patil
September 28, 2012 at 12:53 am
Nasim, I have a new Nikon Dx camera D5100. I have taken hundreds of photographs but No
any photograph has equals the quality of Fx camera images. My images are of low contrast & sharpness. I
want to become a professional photographer in the nature & wildlife field. So how much is necessary to
buy a Full frame camera like Nikon D800 ?
REPLY
248) Ananda
October 1, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Thank you for this easy-to-understand explanation.This is exactly what I need to understand…
the very basic difference between the two. Thank you once again.
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249) Hal Stewart
October 7, 2012 at 7:42 pm
Thanks for writing so many informative articles. I believe you have an error in the DX vs. FX
article. You commented that the Nikon 70-200mm VRII had to updated to work better with FX. As I
understand it was the VRI that worked well on DX but not on FX.
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251) Hal Stewart
October 8, 2012 at 7:50 am
Sorry I read the comment again. My error – statement is correct.
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250) John
October 8, 2012 at 3:17 am
Thank you for the info about DX and FX.
I’m planning to purchase Nikon D600 but thinking around to find single lens that suitable for shooting
scenic, people, night view, and some object zooming focus.
Any lens recommend for this kind of shoot?
If I just use this AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR II DX does it enough?
Does DX lens can fix into FX DLSR body?
Hope someone can help.
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253) John
October 16, 2012 at 1:06 am
Having used AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR is a kind of one stop for all (plz don’t flame
me.. :) ). I have used it for around 3 yrs and its a good lens to start with. Now i ‘am going for Nikkor
50mm f/1.4D as i need to take more portraits..
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254) John
October 16, 2012 at 1:10 am
Yup, DX lens should fit well with FX body..
Quote from Nikon site..
“On an FX-format camera with a DX lens mounted, the camera will automatically engage its built-in DX
crop mode, thus recording an image only from the center section of the sensor.”
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Article/g588ouey/the-dx-and-fx-formats.html
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255) John
October 16, 2012 at 7:52 pm
Thank you for the explanation.
Does AF-S 18-200mm FX lens available in the market? Should I go for FX or DX lens, since the picture
captured from FX lens are very impressive me. Or any recommend FX lens suitable for all-in-one
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
47/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
shot.
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252) rylle
October 15, 2012 at 7:06 am
Great post. I have learned so much from this. Thank you very much..
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256) Sylvain
October 17, 2012 at 2:53 am
Hello,
Great review.
However, something fundamental is missing, the depth of field. If you take the same picture (same
composition, same aperture) with a DX and FX the depth of field will be different, shorter on FX. For the
same compo you can blur the background more easily with a FX than a DX, with a DX than a point and
shoot or a cell phone …. this is not a feature of the cameras but optically fundamental.
REPLY
257) Vinoth
October 26, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Excellent information
Very clear and useful explanation about DX and FX sensors.
Thank you
REPLY
258) waki
November 1, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Hi!
Excellent post, but I have one question..
I’ve just started with photography and got Nikon d3100 (don’t ask me – my finances were short)
And since I’ve got 18-105mm dx lenses in a kit I’ve got a question..
I’m intending to buy some short “normal” lenses like 35mm or 50mm for indoor photography. I also
possess sb-910 and am looking forward to get better equipment when I’ll be able to. But could you just
tell me what the difference is if I use FX 50mm 1.8f lens on a d3100 versus DX 35mm 1.8f lens.. since they all
cost about 200€ and I’m not convinced in any yet. I know I’ll buy a fx camera but it might still take a year
or two, maybe more.. so therefor I do not know which to choose
Thank you for your information. I learn a lot everyday and Photographylife helps me pretty much with it!
REPLY
259) MJohn
November 1, 2012 at 10:42 pm
@waki
HI,
adding my 2 cents
both are wonderful lenses as they can stop down to 1.8. well 35mm will be more wider than 50mm and
can take more wider area than 50mm. however 50mm can take portraits well from a distant (it is 75mm full
frame equivalent) and produce beatiful bokeh backgrounds.
so it depends on your requirements. using your 18-105mm kit lenses at 35mm and 50mm, see that you
exactly require and buy accordingly.
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260) waki
November 4, 2012 at 7:56 am
@MJohn
Thank you for your reply. But I think you didn’t understand the question exactly.. so let me put it like this,
I have a DX body and now I’m wondering what are the pluses and the minuses of using FX lenses on it..
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12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
48/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
261) Sylvain
November 4, 2012 at 8:07 am
@waki
The only minus of using FX lenses is the price (FX more expensive) and the size (FX lenses usually
bigger).
That it. After it will depend on the quality of the lens (FX lens usually better).
For your case between the 35mm-DX and 50mm-Dx they both coast about the same price and size the
same. So @MJohn is right compare 35 and 50 mm shoots and see what is the best for you.
REPLY
262) Renato
November 5, 2012 at 7:58 am
Fantastic help. Thank you!!!
REPLY
263) Dian Miao
November 11, 2012 at 6:57 am
This article really helped me.. Thanks a lot.. :)
REPLY
264) Dian Miao
November 11, 2012 at 7:18 am
One question here.
Let say D5200, 24.1 megapixels on APS-C or DX format CMOS sensor. The size of pixel is quite small and it
might has noise in high ISO, if I lower image quality say 14 megapixels, is it can improve the noise in high
ISO?
In other word, 24.1 megapixels on DX format sensor (image quality set to 14 megapixels) compare with 14
megapixels on DX format sensor (image quality set to 14 megapixels). Is it the noise level same for both
sensor in same high ISO?
REPLY
265) jimmy72
November 14, 2012 at 5:53 am
I still don’t get the ISO performance thing. Bigger pixels means more light gathered and better
low light performance…that I understand. But full frame sensors have more pixels. I haven’t tried a full
frame camera yet, so I am not saying they are not a lot better in low light, I am just saying that I don’t
understand why….. Look at this fairly realistic example:
full frame sensor (24mp) 36×24 = frame size 864mm
cropped sensor (12mp) 24×16 = frame size 364mm
…so the pixel size for the full frame is:
864 / 24 = 36 (lets just forget the millions to make it easier)
…and for the cropped frame
364 / 12 = 32
So in this case is it right to assume that the full frame camera gathers just a bit more light (12.5% more)?
That means that a camera costing often 5 or 6 times as much as a DX will give me just an eighth of a stop
better performance.
So either the difference is barely noticable or my maths is wrong.
REPLY
266) Sylvain
November 14, 2012 at 6:30 am
@jimmy72
Hi,
This article has been written in a time (March 2010) when no or few FX (or DX) format had more than a
ten of millions pixels existed. D800, D4, D600 wasn’t here yet so it refers to D3 and D700 (and
equivalent for other brand than Nikon), compared to D90, D300 etc ….
You are right now the pixel density of FX reach the pixel density of some (old) DX but the detector
improved and the low light performances improved for a fixed pixel size.
But you must compare same generation of FX and DX, for instance D600 and the new D3200 24m and
22m of pixels respectively, you will see that pixels in D600 or D800 are larger than in D3200.
If you compare D800 and D7000, the pixel density is the same but you compare a new camera to a
already 2 years old camera.
12/3/12 Nikon DX vs FX
49/49photographylife.com/nikon-dx-vs-fx
REPLY
267) jimmy72
November 14, 2012 at 6:27 pm
I see what you’re saying, Sylvain. Thanks for the response.
REPLY
268) vanessa
November 21, 2012 at 9:05 am
great great article! tks so much for explaining it so simply… the best. i am choosing a camera
and your site is so helpfull – congrats!!! tks again for this one!. bjs =)
REPLY
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